Exodus
by rainypromise
Summary: His Alice was Fire and that only meant one thing, that sooner or later, like the fate of all pyro's, one day, he will die by his own hands. His own power. Consumed by that part of him that wanted nothing else but to destroy HIATUS
1. Being Thirteen

**Exodus**

**Chapter One: Being Thirteen**

**Disck: The characters are not mine. Don't sue. Have no money.**

**Beta read by Stardrop...thanks girl. Again. **

It was a hot summer day.

Clothes were thinner, skirts were shorter, and sunlight was abundant, lighting up the special school that was known as Alice Academy.

They were all still in the same class, with the same people, with the same overly cheerful, gay-like homeroom teacher. Natsume was still partnered with Mikan, Hotaru still blackmailed Ruka, Sumire still chased Natsume around while he still did his best to ignore her, and Koko was still the insensitive mind reader they all knew and loved. The only difference was now they were all thirteen years old; taller, bigger, stronger, and hopefully wiser…well, most of them were.

Oh, and one thing that was still the same, Mikan still turned up late to class. Not always, but most of the time.

Natsume blinked in surprise as a girl fell on the floor after bumping hard against him. He also blinked at the painful sound that resulted from the fall and the sharp hiss from the girl's mouth. When Mikan finally lifted herself up, not bothering to ask for help from the guy that she bumped against, already knowing what his answer would be if she did, she tilted her head to the side when Natsume merely frowned at her when he should have been drowning her with insults by then.

"Natsume-kun?" Her wide amber eyes, trustful and innocent, squinted at him. Her long lashes swept across her cheeks as she blinked once, twice. Thinking it was probably just one of those days, Mikan peered behind him and beamed at Ruka. "Ohayo, Ruka-pyon."

Ruka, Natsume's best friend/rival for Mikan's affection and all around victim of Hotaru gave her a pleased smile. His usually cool blue eyes warmed at the sight of Mikan and her pigtails, his blond hair glinting in the sunlight. Since Natsume was still quiet, Mikan threw a questioning glance at Ruka, who shrugged. Knowing Natsume the way they did, they left him alone as they chatted about Hotaru's latest blackmail escapade.

At thirteen, Mikan was still the girl she was three years ago: bubbly, optimistic, strong willed, and oh-so-innocent, though taller and sometimes even smarter.

Unknown to Mikan, Natsume was playing close attention to her, or more precisely to her body. Intense crimson eyes followed her movement, the long length of hair that reached the top of her butt, and the smooth stretch of legs that appeared from the ridiculously short skirt. He knew guys admired Mikan's legs, the sway of her narrow hips, the smooth long gait, and the way they just ate up the ground. Then there was that long, long hair: rich, thick, the intriguing color of caramel that was always tied up in pigtails, high on her head, swinging left to right, following her movements, teasing and waving as cheerful as its owner.

You know a guy is a goner when he finds himself obsessing about a girl's hair.

Natsume never thought of himself as a leg kind of man, but every time Mikan walked towards, near, away, or beside him, he found it hard to concentrate. Of course, she was a still a klutz, but when she was on her feet and walking, the view was spectacular.

On top of those world class stilts, Mikan still retained the slim, boyish figure that she had when she was ten, or so he thought. He didn't know why he never noticed it before. Maybe it was because of the shirt; unlike most of the girls who looked like they would burst out of their shirt if they so much as bent over, Mikan wore a shirt that was probably three sizes larger than she should have, probably because of the summer heat and for comfort.

After all Mikan is a comfort before style kind of girl, so he never thought of it as strange. But when he bumped into her this morning, something she hadn't done for a while, and he will suffer through all the tortures of hell before finally admitting that he missed it, he noticed two things. Two considerable, soft, and supple things.

Mikan Sakura actually has boobs.

_Huh._

Okay, they're not particularly big, but it was enough. It surely felt alright when he felt them against his chest. It was intriguing to say the least and needed further investigation. It was easy enough. Since it was summer, he plotted on the best way to trick her into swimming with him, but his mind was distracted by the two distinct shapes popping out from her shirt front, now clear to him after he knew that they were actually there. He mentally scratched his head, since he was Hyuuga Natsume, boy genius extraordinaire, he couldn't risk being caught scratching his head in class like he was confused.

_But why the hell didn't I notice it before?_

"What didn't you notice before?"

Natsume snapped out of his reverie and met the twinkling eyes of Koko, the sadistic, tactless mind reader. Over the years, Koko was probably the only person who knew exactly what Natsume had up in his mind, which was not always a good thing. For him and for Natsume.

_None of your damn business._

Koko grinned. "Awww, Natsume, come on, share your thoughts with the class." His loud and obnoxious snicker caught the attention of the class, leaving the poor substitute teacher mumbling to himself in front of the class.

When each and every one of them turned in their seats and looked at Natsume, they didn't have to be a mind reader to know that if they kept looking at him, all of them would end up in the hot seat…literally. But they were saved from that cruel fate when Mikan, who sat in front of Natsume, tilted her head, pigtails bouncing, big eyes blinking, and laid her head on her folded hands against the back of her chair with her lips pursed looking as cute as a puppy dog. They watched as Natsume's crimson eyes settled on her face and softened, even Ruka had a sweet smile on his face. "Ne, Natsume-kun."

"What?" His face was once again impassive and his voice toneless, his eyes returning to the manga he was pretending to read.

"What were you thinking?"

He unconsciously shifted on his seat then caught himself when he noticed Hotaru's violet eyes shifted towards his and narrowed. The girl had a knack of guessing what he was thinking when it came to Mikan. "It's nothing."

He lifted his head when she didn't start whining and caught the worried look in her face. _The idiot really is transparent._

"Is it..." She bit her lip, a habit when she was unsure of what she was about to say and Natsume had to will himself not to look at her lips because Hotaru was watching him far too close for comfort. Not knowing that the two guys in front of her would love to just take a bite of her, she leaned closer to them. "Is it a mission?" She whispered.

Sumire, those damn cat/dog ears of hers, heard it anyway and snorted. Loudly. "Of course it's a mission you baka, what else would Natsume-kun be thinking about? _You_?"

Natsume lifted a brow and Koko's chortle faded. 

Sumire sniffed and looked down at Mikan though how she could manage that was a mystery since Mikan was taller than her, even though they were sitting down. "Unlike some people, Natsume-kun takes his responsibility very seriously. So, quit interrogating him and leave him to his thoughts..."

Ignoring Sumire who was still singing his praises, Natsume frowned at Mikan when she suddenly turned quiet. "Why did you think I was thinking about a mission?"

"You missed the last few hours of class yesterday and you came in late at night."

He closed his manga and tapped it on the palm of his hand lightly while he subtly spread his gaze around the class. One by one, all of them shook their heads, answering his voiceless query. Some time ago, after finding out that Mikan had developed a habit of waiting up for him whenever he was on a mission, and as a result, became even more klutzy than usual and therefore became a mortal threat to herself and others, Natsume forbade anyone to tell her that he was on a mission and gave permission to create all kinds of excuses for him as long as it didn't destroy his ultra cool reputation.

When his eyes encountered Hotaru and she returned it with an empty stare, he dismissed the possibility of her as a suspect instantly. "Well, it's either you suddenly went all nosy or someone opened their mouth."

His eyes shifted to an uncomfortable Ruka, who was petting his ageless bunny like crazy. "Mou, Natsume-kun, don't be mad at Ruka-pyon. I nagged at him. You know how I can nag. I nagged him to pieces."

Natsume lifted an eyebrow at his best friend, who blushed guiltily.

Anna and Nonoko giggled. "More like she smiled at him and he instantly caved."

"Anna. Nonoko," Mikan hissed, defending Ruka's honor, but it was lost in the laughter of their classmates. Natsume took one glance at his miserable looking friend and rolled his eyes. "It's not a mission."

"Then what is it?"

"None of your business." He opened his manga again and started to read seriously this time, but was lost in the sweet feeling that she bothered to check up on him. It was such a...Mikan-like thing to do. Of course, he didn't make a big deal about it, it was just Mikan's way; she was a born worrywart.

For the last three years, Class B turned from a cast out class filled with trouble makers into a _tight-knit_ cast out class filled with trouble makers with Mikan as the baby. It was left for Hotaru and himself to rein her in once in a while when she got too excited. Yuu and Ruka were their complete opposites; they were the worse when it came to Mikan. Left to them and the Special Ability Class, Mikan could be quite incorrigible.

When Natsume kept up his pretence of reading, as a testimony to her growth, Mikan philosophically did the next best thing from asking the person involved, which was to ask the resident mind reader. She swiveled towards Koko. Koko eyed Mikan's sweet face to Hotaru's blank one to Ruka's inquisitive one to Natsume's dark one.

_You know what I'll do to you if you open your big fat mouth._

Koko pursed his lips, trying to figure out whether the fun would outweigh the consequences. It was close…very close. He finally compromised.

"Since it's summer, he's thinking about swimming."

While the majority of his classmates showed disappointed faces, well, that, and/or suspicion, one of them, guess who, beamed at the idea.

"Swimming? That's great. Can I come? Pleeeease. Pretty please with sugar on tooooooop?"

Natsume and Ruka sweat dropped as they practically felt the invisible waves of hope and happiness vibrating in the air. Her fingers interlaced as in prayer in front of her face that was lit up by the sweet guiles smile that she was famous for, her amber eyes shining with goodwill.

"_Che_. Do whatever you want." Afraid that he would do something crazy like smile at her, he quickly turned to his manga, his eyes still seeing spots because of the brightness of her smile.

_Her smile should be an Alice.__Everybody seems to falls for it. _

Although Natsume wasn't facing Koko, he could actually feel his eyes on him. He grudgingly thanked the mind reader in his mind and heard the answering snicker.

Forgetting all about the teacher in front of them, everybody was warming up to the idea of a swim. Amidst the hum of conversation, Natsume gave his best friend a sidelong glance. "So," he started and felt Ruka stiffen, "she nagged you to pieces, huh?"

"I didn't…she asked and I...she was so _worried,_ so…I…she...I couldn't just let her..."

Natsume watched as his friend stumbled on his own words and snorted. Ruka was never good at lying or defending himself. "You are so whipped."

Natsume hid his grin behind his manga when Ruka's face did a fair imitation of a tomato, glad that he wasn't the only one dealing with these kinds of warped feelings.

"You're one to talk. You're just as whipped as I am."

Natsume's grin widened. It would've been a pretty good comeback if Ruka hadn't said it with a sulking tone.

Natsume erased the grin from his face when Mikan turned back towards him. "Natsume-kun."

Not taking his eyes from his manga, he grunted.

Taking that as a sign that he was listening, she beamed at him. "When are we going? Today? After school?"

He closed his book and looked at her, already regretting what he was about to say next, knowing that it would make her smile disappear. "I can't today. I have to go for a couple of days."

As he thought, her smile faltered when he stood up at the chime of the main clock. "You have to go now?"

Silence enveloped the room and the eyes of his fellow students followed his movements. He shrugged. "Go without me."

"We'll wait. It's your idea anyway." Ruka assured him and several heads bobbed in agreement.

"Whatever."

"Natsume-kun."

At the door, he turned and looked straight at Mikan, who was watching him with a soft smile and eyes that glowed with trust. "Iterashai. Please come back safely."

Natsume felt his heart warmed and ached at the same time. He didn't even know that he yearned for those words until now. He couldn't help but meet her eyes longer than he ever would, longer than he should, especially in public.

There, in the shape of a thirteen year old girl with bright eyes and long hair tied up in pigtails, was everything he had ever wanted, everything he had ever dared to wish for and to have.

Natsume didn't say anything, he didn't smile, he didn't nod. His face stayed the same: cool, beautiful, unreadable. But the smile and confidence in Mikan's face did not waver and when he spread his gaze around the class, he noticed that it was mirrored in the faces of his best friend, Ruka, and his classmates.

Natsume did the only thing he could in this situation. He rolled his eyes and smirked. "Trust you to think of something so sappy."

Laughs appeared at the pout on Mikan's face.

When Natsume slipped out of the door, Koko caught a wisp of Natsume's thoughts and shook his head at how different Natsume's thoughts and words were.

_Arigatou, minna. Itekimasu, Mikan._


	2. Question and Answers

**EXODUS**

**Chapter Two: Questions and Answers**

Ruka eyed his best friend from the top of his head to his toes as soon as Natsume opened the door to his special star suite. Relieved that Natsume didn't look any worse than usual after returning from one of his missions, Ruka nodded to Natsume, who stepped back, letting Ruka come in. He noted the many bruises that decorated Natsume's skin, but that was nothing strange. At the very least, there were no open wounds.

"Why didn't you tell me that you're back?"

Natsume shrugged, grabbed the towel that was hanging on his neck, and rubbed his wet hair. "I needed some time alone."

"I heard that you were already back two days ago." Ruka couldn't help the accusing tone that escaped through his lips.

Either Natsume didn't notice or he merely ignored it. "Like I said, I needed some time alone."

"A couple of days."

Natsume let the wet towel slip through his fingers to the floor and pushed his damp hair back. The movement made the muscles in his arms and back move and shift. At thirteen, Natsume was already taller than most of the kids his age, his young slim body toned and flawless due to the Persona's ruthless training. Besides, when your life depended on how fast you could dodge a bullet, you made damn sure you took care of your body.

Ruka picked up the wet towel and threw it onto the bathroom floor. "You said you would only be a couple of days."

Natsume merely lifted an eyebrow. "So?"

Gritting his teeth, Ruka scowled at his friend when he sat on the couch and turned on his TV. "Two or three days, that's a couple of days. Not five."

"I_was_ gone for three days."

Ruka hated to nag, but he opened his mouth anyway. "Then where were you for the last two days?"

"Here."

Ruka blinked. "You were here?"

Natsume merely nodded, not taking his eyes from the TV. Ruka looked at Natsume's face, trying to make out if he was lying or not. "Why didn't you say something?"

"I wanted-"

"To be alone. Yeah, yeah, what does that have to do with not telling us that you were already back?"

Natsume noticed that 'me' had changed into 'us'. "Because if I did, you would never leave me alone."

"Yes, we would."

"No, you wouldn't." Natsume sighed. "Look, don't make such a big deal out of it. I needed those two days to wind down. To rest, alright?"

Ruka's blue eyes sharpened. Unless wounded, Natsume didn't really need to rest unless it was to catch on some sleep. "You're hurt."

"No. Just...tired. I need sleep."

Ruka took the hint. "You're going to class tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

Ruka opened the door, and then hesitated. "Have you talked to Sakura?"

Natsume turned the TV off. "Of course not."

"She's going to come in late from her Special Ability class tonight. Talk to her, let her see that you're alright."

"Why should I?"

Ruka smiled the peaceful, serene smile that could always make Natsume feel like an ass. "Because _you_ want to." And with that parting shot, he closed the door.

Ruka stayed there for a moment before walking along the hallway, thinking, but for the life of him, he couldn't think of any reason why his best friend would not look him in the eye. He needed someone to brainstorm with, someone who understood the intricacies of a complex and sensitive mind.

Strange as it may seem, he knew he needed Hotaru.

Natsume winced as he got up from the sofa, his aching muscles screaming in protest. "Suck it up, Natsume." He clenched his teeth, rolled his shoulder, and felt the sharp twinge between his shoulders. He continued to walk and stretch, pushing through the pain until he felt his muscles finally loosen and warm, his limbs and joints limber once more.

Before, it was all he could do to walk from the bathroom, to the door, and to the sofa underneath Ruka's hawk-like stare without whimpering in agony.

Since he was alone, he permitted himself a few curses. He was black and blue and sore all over, which was nothing new. The long dip in hot water that he took earlier had eased most of the soreness away, but there was nothing he could do about the bruises. He paused in front of the mirror and nodded in satisfaction when he saw that all the bruises could actually be covered by his uniform. He touched the bruise on his ribs, still tender yet, and hissed at the shock of pain on his trembling muscles.

At least his face was still intact due to his mask. He never thought that he would ever be thankful for the stupid mask. It wasn't like he was particularly vain; it was just that whenever his face got messed up, his fan club turned more rabid and fawning than ever. Not to mention a certain someone, who would hound and nag him to death.

He could just imagine the look on her baka-like face, wincing in empathy as though she was also feeling the pain, how she would get all teary eyed and badger him to no end, doing this and that, hovering, shoving salves and potions into his hands. And if he refused, she would just hound him until either she witnessed him put it on his wound or she would slap the damn things on herself. Her little fingers gently touching his face, flinching whenever he flinched, wincing whenever he winced…Natsume pursed his lips. _O__n second thought, that's not such a bad idea…NO! Stop it! You are not going to mutilate yourself only to get her sympathy._

He sighed at his reflection in the mirror. "She contaminated you with her baka germs." He held his head when the world suddenly spun. "Deep breaths, deep breaths. You are not going to faint, you big sissy."

Feeling suffocated, he walked towards the window and opened it wide to let the midnight air in. He put on a shirt, but didn't bother to button it up since the cool air felt comforting on his bruises.

As he winced and cursed his way to his favorite section of the roof, he wondered how long he would be able to hide the truth from Ruka and- aware of the direction his thoughts were taking him, he cringed again.

It didn't surprise him when he felt guilty as soon as he opened the door and saw the look on Ruka's face. He didn't even blame Ruka for feeling disgruntled over the fact that he didn't tell him that he was back. It was Ruka, his best friend; he had earned the right to get pissed at him. What bothered and made him itchy all over was that he was starting to feel the same way towards the damn baka. Like he owed her something.

It was baffling, the immediate affinity that he felt with her, the unmistakable attraction, the unbreakable hold that she had over him. He realized that her innate ability to annoy, irritate, and make him angry by just being there was because he cared, sometimes a little too much.

This wasn't the first, the second, nor the third time he questioned his feelings for the girl and he doubt it would be the last, but though he questioned it from time to time, rebelled against it, banged his head against it, one thing he never did was deny it. Even when he didn't understand what it was exactly he was feeling, he acknowledged that she was different and that she did catch his eye.

There was no point in denying it anyway and Natsume already did too many pointless things already. He trusted himself, trusted his instincts because if he couldn't trust those two things, well, then he'd be dead.

So, if his body and heart told him he had feelings, then he had feelings.

Though he had no idea how these feelings showed up in the first place.

It wasn't like he was short on girls; if he wanted one, all he needed to do was to take his pick of the very large litter.

It was not because she so obviously had a mind of her own and it wasn't because of her abnormally caring heart that genuinely believed that there was good in everybody. It was also not because of her loyalty or her bravery or her tenacity and determination to fight for what she believed in. It wasn't just because one of these things.

He liked her because he did and that was all there was to it. Simple. Baffling.

He had to admit the girl had guts and an inner strength that let her to trust, to believe, to love, and to forgive whole heartedly, even though how much she was betrayed, lied to, disappointed, or how much she got hurt over and over again. Every time she fell, she picked herself up and shrugged like nothing had happen…literally and metaphorically.

She was a crybaby, sure. Natsume couldn't count the many times he saw her cry, but it was always because of somebody else's problems. She even cried for him, and though it embarrassed him, saddened him, he couldn't help, but feel happy that she cared.

He had no idea why he was feeling what he was feeling; he only knew that he did.

Natsume closed his eyes as the cold started to seep into his skin, and then opened them to spread his gaze upon the sky where pricks of light winked gently. Before realizing it, he started to raise his power to warm him up, but then thought better of it. So he shivered in the cold, taking comfort that he could actually feel something.

He didn't lie to Ruka; he did return from the mission two days ago and he wasn't hurt more than usual. His desire to be alone was also true, so was his need for rest.

Natsume grimaced against the prick of guilt. _Okay, so I left out a few things._ Like the two days he spent in bed, weak and numb, his power maxed out, his thoughts dark and disturbing. But it wasn't because of the mission, so to his way of thinking, he didn't have the obligation to tell Ruka.

He brushed a hand on his drying hair and stopped when it accidentally touched his left ear where a second earring hung; a metallic gold hoop that pierced the lobe, a thin delicate chain connecting it to another circlet at the shell of his ear. His third and fourth limiters. He fisted the hand that touched it, suppressing the urge to yank it off.

He'd forgotten about it, which was surprising because for the last two days since Persona forced it on him, the time he spent in bed were filled with the impulse to burn it to a crisp. It was another leash, another chain, another symbol of their control over him. A symbol of their ownership, further evidence that his life was not really his.

_It was a good thing that Ruka hadn't noticed it. I have to be careful next time. _

Natsume narrowed his eyes when he saw something move through the line of trees heading towards the dorm areas. After a few seconds of watching the thing stumble and fall flat on the ground, he realized what, or more precisely, who it was.

It was none other than Mikan Sakura, aka Baka Youjo, aka polka-dotted panties.

_What the hell is she doing walking in the woods alone so late at night?_

He started to stand and go after her, but changed his mind. She was already reaching the end of the forest anyway. With a scowl, he watched her run the whole way with her hands on her ears, weaving a crooked path like a blind masochistic drunk.

_Someone's been telling her ghost stories again. The baka probably has her eyes closed._ Natsume winced when she fell down again and shook his head when she almost rammed herself against a tree.

_She's going to kill herself if I don't do something._

Natsume took a deep, deep breath and let it out through his mouth. After a second or two, tendrils of smoke appeared, rolled in the air, and formed little balls of fire, pretty and harmless, at least until Natsume decided otherwise. They flirted around him for a while, dipping and diving in the air until they stopped to hover over his head, and then zoomed fast towards the girl, who was currently dusting off her skirt at the edge of the forest.

Mikan was standing, bent over the waist, hands on her knees, the classic posture of catching one's breath.

_Talk to her. Let her see that you're alright._

_Why should I?_

_Because you want to._

Natsume grumbled inwardly, his friend always had a knack for guessing and anticipating his thoughts and wants. He admitted that he did want to see her, so much that he found himself knocking on her bedroom door the minute he arrived at the academy. Tired out of his mind, beaten up black and blue, his feet had automatically walked up to her room, forgetting that it was Friday morning and that meant school.

When he finally realized what he was doing, it mortified him right to his bones.

He lifted his right knee and laid his chin on it as he watched Mikan's attention stray from the ground towards the flashing lights that were flying towards her. He laughed when he saw her take a few steps back, an appropriate reaction since they were flying fast enough to actually knock her out.

Natsume could almost see her confused, yet curious, expression when the lights slowed, stopped in front of her and hovered in the air. And when she tilted her head and reached out a hand to the lights, he smiled.

If Hotaru was there (and who could really be sure that she wasn't?), she'd probably be taking pictures, cackling to herself in glee, already counting her rabbits. If Ruka was there, he'd probably be sighing softly, puzzled on why his friend was so adamant on feigning indifference towards a certain girl. If Sumire and his fan girls were there, they'd probably be shrieking the whole academy down, and if Mikan could somehow see him, she'd ask him 'why is he looking so sad?'

His crimson eyes stayed on Mikan as she played with the lights, their movements slow and playful as they flew around her, over her. She skipped and clapped her hands in a childish gesture of delight.

_Such a child._

With the balls of fire illuminating the way, she didn't trip as much as she would've. Her steps were light as she walked closer to their dorm.

He watched her lift both arms to the side, and then above her head as she did a slow and surprisingly elegant pirouette, the fire balls swirling along with her, in tune with her movements.

Natsume watched and his breath caught in his throat when she tossed her head back and laughed. Conspiring against him, the wind picked up the bright sound of her laughter and brought it to him as it teasingly lifted strands of his hair from his face. Natsume felt the quick heated punch of young lust tightening the muscles of his stomach and the slow delicious slide of desire warming his body, forcing him to catch his breath when want changed into need.

He jerked in his seat when Mikan suddenly looked up, as if she knew that he was there. For a minute, she only stood there before lifting up a hand to wave at him. Natsume frowned when she stayed there in the cold then frowned some more when she waved both her hands this time, pointed to the fire balls, pressed her palms together, then bowed.

Natsume snorted, amused. "Silly girl." He leaned forwards when Mikan moved her body this way and that. "Now what is she up to?"

For a moment Natsume though she was under the power of the sick jokester, Andou. Either that or she was having seizures of the weirdest kind. At the very least, he guessed that she was attempting to do a rain dance.

He was in the middle of deciding whether to jump down and get her help when he realized that she wasn't trying to call down the rain; she was trying to shape her body into words.

He lifted both his brows and read.

O-K-A-E-R-I. Okaeri. Welcome home.

She ended the message with a 'ta-da' gesture and although he couldn't see it, he knew she had a huge bright smile on her face.

A couple of seconds ticked by, with Natsume staring and Mikan looking up. Then suddenly, Mikan yipped when in front of her very eyes, the fireballs that looked cute and pretty turned into onibi (spirit orbs, spirit fire), Natsume could see her mouth moving, rapidly alternating between screams and curses on Natsume's head as she ran away from the onibi that chased after her.

"Damn stupid girl," Natsume mumbled against his knee, feeling the warmth of his cheek through his pants. He groaned miserably at the embarrassing feeling of shyness, mixed in with prickles of happiness. He didn't need a mirror to show him that his face was as red as a baboon's butt or to show him the big idiotic smile stamped on his face.

"Stupid. Stupid girl," He said to no one in particular, but although his selections of words were harsh, his tone was gentle and affectionate. The look on his usually cold face was wistful, his eyes soft and warm.

Natsume threw himself on his bed and closed his eyes, helpless to fight the urge to savor the tender and sweet feeling that layered his heart, enjoying the addictive taste of happiness as he repeated the scene again and again in his mind.

He chuckled at the look on her face when she saw the onibi and as the chuckle turned to a laugh, he rolled around the bed, laughing himself breathless.

The smile on his face faltered when he remembered how she twirled slowly, her long, long hair spreading in one perfect continuing motion, his fire circling her slender body, her arms; white and pale in the darkness.

He touched his chest when his heart tripped once, twice before returning to its usual rhythm.

There was also the look on her face as she laughed; happy, free. To think that just one gesture, something that he really didn't even think through, was able to make her so happy…

"Mikan." It came out as more than a breath, less than a whisper, but was filled to the brim with all the yearning and longing of first love. "Mikan." He breathed into his pillow, slowly drifting off to sleep accompanied by the echoes of her name.

Natsume sighed softly, not noticing that he'd forgotten all about the cold.


	3. Surprises

**EXODUS**

**Chapter Three: Surprises**

Mikan had a champion sulk on her face while Natsume walked in front of her, looking like he didn't have a care in the world. He wasn't actually bursting into a song at the moment, but though his face was still as expressionless as before, his usual scowl was nowhere to be seen. For the general populace that had no idea that Natsume actually did have other expressions, this was as close to bursting into a song that Natsume could possibly be.

This apparent exchange of moods obviously captured a lot of attention and it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what caused it. Ruka peeked at Mikan from over his shoulder and received the pout of the century. He glanced at Hotaru, but Hotaru was busy mumbling something under her breath, which usually bode ill for someone. Usually him.

Finally realizing the predicament, especially when his fan clubs inched closer to him, Natsume quickly lowered his brows into a scowl, but since it lacked the ominous aura, and the killing glint in his eyes was practically nonexistent, with determined steps, the mob inched closer. But before the pair of handsome boys found themselves mauled, something miraculous happen, something extraordinary unusual. All movement stopped and all eyes shifted to Mikan.

She growled, yes, ladies and gentleman, she growled, low in her throat. Threateningly, eyebrows slashed to a V, eyes narrowed to slits, her lips for once were devoid of a smile; instead they were pressed into a tight, stubborn straight line.

Natsume, Ruka and Hotaru blinked at the sight, so did the fan girls. It wasn't just because it was unusual, different, unexpected, and strange. It was also because it was just too…cute. Attempting to look like a lion, she looked like a kitten, hissing and clawing, trying to bluff her way out.

Natsume bit his tongue. _Don't laugh. Don't laugh. Must. Not. Laugh._

Hotaru was furiously getting pictures.

It was Ruka who broke first. He snorted, and then looked away, his shoulders shaking, struggling not to laugh. Unfortunately, he turned towards Natsume, who was also trying to hold back laughter. Their eyes met and Natsume gasped out a breath, but then caught himself. Fully aware of the danger that they were in of totally and completely losing their cool, disinterest, and unapproachable image in front of their fans, they made a run for it, taking cover over the flashing blitz of Hotaru's camera.

Things weren't so different when they've reached class. Anna and Nonoko giggled, Mochu smirked, and Kitsuneme chortled while Koko just laughed out loud. Natsume suspected that the mind reader was laughing because of something else. You could never be sure with Koko. Sumire, ever the blunt one, lifted her eyebrows when she glanced at Mikan then did a double take. "What's wrong with her?"

Ruka gave a wobbly smile. "Man, Natsume. What did you do this time? She's really pissed."

Natsume lifted the manga off his face. "Why do you think I have something with to do with _that_?"

"Because you look like you're in a good mood, and who else can make Mikan angry either than you?" Hotaru answered with her toneless voice, though there was a flicker of amusement in her eyes. "Besides, Koko said so."

Koko blinked innocent eyes at him, his disgustingly smiley face devoid of any guilt or anxiety.

Natsume shrugged, leaned back, and then plopped the manga on his face.

---

It was a testament on how famous Mikan's bright and cheery demeanor was when Natsume found himself surrounded by teachers, students, and people he hardly knew, asking him, rather, more like accusing him as being the culprit that caused Mikan's bad mood. As a result, his_good_ mood dwindled to a stop and a sore, harassed, vindictive mood replaced it. "Oh, for Kami's sake. If one more stupid idiot steps up to me only to ask about the baka, I'm going to burn someone. Where is that baka anyway?"

Ruka chuckled. "Probably with Hotaru at her lab." Then an evil smile appeared on his sweet face. "Or maybe she went for some TLC from her favorite senpai."

Before Natsume could explode at the very thought of Mikan wrapping herself around Andou, Mochu showed up beside them. "She's with Hotaru at Misaki-sensei's Garden. Said she wanted to test her artificial sun invention."

Natsume cursed under his breath as he turned around and stomped towards the garden. His bad mood was not just because of the dirty looks he was getting due to Mikan. He couldn't care less about that. It was because from the minute she showed up, sulking, she hadn't said as much as a word to him. Not even a stupid insult.

_He needed this fixed, dammit._

He didn't even know why she was so pissed at him. What he did last night wasn't any worse than what he usually did, so what the hell was wrong with her?

_Probably just some female crap. _

"Natsume."

"What?" He glared at Ruka, who grabbed his hand and pulled him to a run. "Hey, what's the big-" he gaped when Ruka shushed him.

"Something's wrong. The animals are quiet."

Training and instinct catapulted Natsume to action. He ran faster when he heard tense voices and saw the crowd as he turned a corner.

His heart stopped when he finally saw what the fuss was all about.

The huge ancient tree had always been there for as long as the students could remember. It had been a silent witness to the academy's history for ages. Numerous students had studied, slept, played, fought, fell in love, broke up, laughed, and cried under it. But no one had ever seen it behave like this before.

Narumi-sensei's violet eyes were anxious and afraid as he ran towards his best friend, Misaki. For once, his trademark flirty smile was not evident. "Misaki, what the hell is going on?"

Misaki-sensei shook his head, confused and baffled. "I don't know. I have no idea why it's behaving like this."

A seventeen-year-old Tsubasa Andou and his best friend Misaki joined them. "Never mind why," he shouted at them, his voice was tight with tension. "Just make it let her go!"

Natsume felt his hands shake when he saw Mikan dangling high above the ground, tied up by the many green tendrils and roots, fighting to free herself. He snapped himself awake when Ruka pulled him through the crowd towards the two teachers.

Ruka looked to the side when Hotaru joined them. "We were just walking from the green house when the tree suddenly came alive. She pushed me away, but she got caught." Her voice was flat, but Ruka saw the flinch in her violet eyes.

The three of them stopped on their tracks and looked up when they heard Mikan stifle a scream, their blood freezing at the sound of pain that came out of her.

Natsume flexed his fingers, his face fierce, his eyes never leaving Mikan's face. Maybe because they sensed his determination, or his dark aura, the crowd parted easily before him.

"Natsume-kun, Ruka-kun, Hotaru." Sumire joined them from their left, followed by Mochu, Yuu, Koko, Kitsuneme, and several of their classmates.

"…considering its size, we can't do much about it without hurting her. The tree is not one of mine, so I don't know any of his weaknesses. It doesn't appear to have any toxins and it's usually harmless. If we cut it or hurt it in anyway, I'm afraid it will turn against Sakura. Unless we find a way to hurt it enough to let her go, we could aim for the tendrils that are holding her, but that's impossible to do without hurting her in some way."

"What about fire?"

Narumi-sensei, Misaki-sensei, Tsubasa, and Misaki turned to find an intense looking Natsume behind them along with almost all of B class. They formed a half circle in front of the crowd, separating the bystanders from the people who were actually doing something.

"You can control your fire from hurting her, but I don't think it will even put a scratch on it…." Natsume tried to focus on Misaki-sensei's words and tried to ignore the whimpering sounds from Mikan as the tendrils glided against her skin and squeezed her body. Even from where he was standing, he could see that red marks had started to appear on her skin.

Ruka glanced at Hotaru, who was standing silent and still like she was frozen, her face impossibly pale. Hesitantly, he reached for her hand and realized that she was shaking and her fingers were as cold as ice. When Hotaru lifted her eyes towards his, he tightened his hold on her hand. "Don't worry, Natsume will save her."

He didn't really expect her to say anything, but was pleasantly surprised when she gripped his hand and nodded. She returned her eyes to Mikan. "Hyuuga will save her."

Hotaru, Ruka, and Natsume flinched when they saw Mikan bite her lip and a tear slide on her cheek.

"…but maybe if you can make the heat intense enough and focus..."

Natsume snapped. "We don't have time for this." He turned towards Koko, who looked surprised. "Do you understand?"

Koko zipped through Natsume's mind, nodded, and as Natsume walked closer to the tree, he relayed Natsume's orders to the others.

"Mochu, as soon as the tree releases Mikan, you use your Alice to get her down slowly." Koko turned towards Hotaru while Mochu stepped closer to the tree, but far away from Natsume. "Hotaru, we need one of your fastest vehicles to bring her to the hospital. Ruka, get one of your animals to the principals and to the hospital, and tell them to get ready for an emergency patient."

"On it." Ruka and Hotaru ran out of the crowd. He took out his whistle while Hotaru was holding a small mechanism that she took out of her pocket.

Koko turned to the others, his face was still pleasant, but there was a dangerous glint in his eyes. "We're going to be crowd control, but keep your eyes on me 'cause I'll be giving out orders from Natsume. No matter what happens, no one is to bother Natsume. And I mean no one."

Natsume glanced at his classmates, noted that they were all in place, their eyes filled with purpose, and then finally lifted his eyes towards Mikan, forcing a smirk on his lips. "Youjo, how is it that you're always getting us into trouble? And I thought I was supposed to be the trouble maker."

Another tear slid on her cheek, but she returned the smirk. "It's a talent."

Natsume fisted his hands at his side and the crowd could see the invisible waves that came out of it. They sensed the rising heat and all at once, they fell silent.

When flames suddenly erupted and covered Natsume's hands like a red glove with a loud roar, everybody immediately stepped back at the intense pressure pushing against him. Misaki tugged on Tsubasa's jacket, glancing at Natsume nervously. "Do you think this is wise?"

"Don't worry. Natsume's an arrogant brat, but he'll cut off his hand before he hurts Mikan-chan." But he flinched when Natsume's flame grew larger.

Everybody was starting to sweat.

Narumi sensei was filled with anxiety. "Natsume, wait." He took a step forward, but was pushed back firmly. The blond gaped when he saw that it was Yuu, the gentle, patient, class president, and all around perfect student.

"Don't worry, sensei." The comforting smile on his cute round face was obviously fake. The sun was glinting on his round glasses so that he looked like a blind, psychotic, cherubic angel. "Just stand there quietly and let Natsume handle it. We don't want you to get hurt, ne?"

"A...aa." Narumi and Misaki-sensei sweat dropped.

Among the roar of the fire, they could hear Natsume's low, deep voice. "You ready, Youjo?"

Mikan nodded, and then winced. The skin of her neck was raw and Natsume's heart clutched. "Trust me?"

Amber eyes met crimson.

Without hesitation, Mikan answered, "Yes."

Natsume lifted his burning hands in a straight line in front of him. "Close your eyes."

As soon as Mikan did as she was told, Natsume released a long, endless stream of fire that aimed straight towards Mikan and engulfed her body in angry tongues of fire.

Screams and horrified exclamations tore out from the crowd.

Tsubasa pulled Misaki backwards. "No, it's okay. Look." He pointed to Mikan. The force of the fire, swept her hair back, but her face was calm and not showing any signs of pain. "What the…"

"Mikan is protected by her Alice. She lets out her power to spread evenly on herself; it's strong enough to protect her against the fire, but weak enough that it doesn't nullify Natsume's fire," Ruka explained to the upper-class couple. "It's like a force field. That way, she can still protect herself without wasting too much energy and she doesn't disturb our Alice's, so we can use it whenever it's needed. It was Natsume's idea. They've been practicing it for some time now."

"Look." Somebody whispered and they turned back towards the scene. Slowly, but surely, they could see the tendrils around Mikan loosen and detangle themselves from her body. Inch by inch, Mikan started to ease down, helped by Mochu when the tendrils let go of her entirely.

Natsume closed his fist, cutting off his power. Smoke hissed from the singed tendrils and in the shade, sparks of fire fluttered down like glowing snow, decorating the dark as Mikan slowly hovered down.

Natsume stepped closer to her and watched as she slowly opened her eyes. When she saw him, she opened her arms and reached out. It wasn't until he felt her arms circling around his shoulders, the warmth of her body sliding against his, and felt her ragged breath on the crook of his neck that he finally felt his heart began to beat again. He closed his eyes against the overwhelming fear of losing her and took comfort in gently placing his hands on her back to hold her in place. It took three tries, but he was finally able to open his mouth. "Does this mean you're not mad at me anymore?"

Mikan lifted her head. Her face looked tired and pale, her amber eyes wet with tears, her hair a tangled mess, and her uniform was soiled with dust, dirt and soot and every inch of uncovered skin was covered with bloody grazes, welts, cuts and scratches. Lips trembling, she blinked at him. "I'm sorry Natsume-kun. I shouldn't have gotten mad at you." Her face was the very picture of apologetic contrition, but Natsume saw the sly twinkle in her eyes before she shifted her eyes down. "Even though you deserved it."

His heart was still stuttering and his hands were still trembling from the thought of 'what ifs,' but he felt his lips twitch and he scowled at her. "Stubborn brat."

Surrendering to the demands of her weak body, she closed her eyes and sighed. "Pervert."

Natsume snorted and shook his head. He shifted his hold and lifted her gently in his arms, mindful of her numerous wounds, then raised his eyes from her face when Tsubasa and Misaki stood in front of him.

"Mikan-chan. Are you alright? Natsume, give her over-Itai." Tsubasa jerked back his hand from Mikan's arm.

Natsume smirked. "Ah, forgot about that. Better not touch her. It's the fire, you know. Hot." He walked around them ignoring Tsubasa's narrowing eyes and mutterings of pain as he sucked on his burnt fingers. The crowd made way for Natsume and after the impressive display of power, who wouldn't? His classmates were following behind her.

"Natsume." Ruka ran towards him, following him was Subaru Imai and co. "Hyuuga, what's the meaning of this?"

"How the hell should I know? That's your job. Mine is cleaning up the mess." Natsume nodded, answering the silent question in Ruka's blue eyes about Mikan's condition. Ruka rubbed his face, then grimaced when he saw the wounds on Mikan's skin. "All I know is somebody screwed up and I want to know who."

Heads swiveled when a sharp screech filled the air and saw Hotaru driving a sleek, shining silver convertible. She screeched to a stop, inches from their feet, raised her ultra cool sun glasses, then looked at them. "Hop in."

Ruka had barely settled his butt on the white leather of the passenger seat when Hotaru stepped on the gas pedal. They zoomed away like the devil was on their tail, which was probably true because when Ruka looked over his shoulder, he was treated to a rare scene where Subaru Imai, vice principal/Hotaru's brother, who was just as cold and just as impassive as she was, screaming his head off, waving his hands around like a madman. Ruka gaped at him. "What the heck is his problem?"

He looked at Natsume, who was wearing a peculiar expression as he looked around the car. "Uh, Imai?"

Hotaru met Natsume's red ruby eyes through the rear view mirror. "Yes, Hyuuga?" It was the sweet and helpful tone that told him the truth of his suspicions. Finally able to breathe again because Mikan was safe in his arms, Natsume couldn't hold back the chuckle. Ruka's blue eyes shifted back and forth between Hotaru and Natsume and a thought occurred to him. "No. Is this? You mean...this car is…" Ruka glanced at Hotaru's expressionless face to Natsume's amused one and groaned. "We are so going to get into trouble."


	4. If Wishes Were Horses

**EXODUS**

Chapter Four: If Wishes were Horses

Disc: Not mine.

-----

Natsume swiped at his damp hair and entered the hospital room to the sounds of arguing and cold looks. "What's wrong?"

"They've sedated her to maximize the healing process then he tried healing her but his power won't work. Three guesses on why." Ruka turned ice blue eyes towards the young doctor who squirmed on his feet beneath the sharp stares of his patient's friends and classmate.

"You didn't put her alice into account?"

Hotaru's violet eyes gleamed at the snap in Natsume's voice, her trouble meter trembling but Natsume merely sighed. "Never mind. Move."

The doctor shifted away but kept close and watched Natsume carefully. After giving the doctor a bland look, Natsume lifted his left hand then slowly waved it above Mikan's body.

Even Hotaru gasped at what happened next. It only lasted a couple of seconds but it was beautiful. They could feel the heat and the punch of power that trickled around them, blowing their hair softly and grazing their skin.

Bright fire flared and..rippled, it was the only word that came to Hotaru's mind, and they watched Natsume's fire swallowed Mikan's body for the second time. It danced and swirled, rippling softly and steadily like water and then disappears.

Natsume's fire was wild, untamed, alive and frightening, it was never…pretty. But this time it even sound pretty; it murmured and whispered as it shifted and glided, the movements elegant and..clean.

Hotaru blinked, eyebrows raised in a rare expression of surprise and appreciation. They looked on as Natsume stepped back. "Try again."

Hesitantly, the doctor touched Mikan's wrist and concentrated. When she lifted his hands, the red welts on her wrist had disappeared without a mark.

Confused and questioning eyes shifted towards Natsume. "I've been training with her. Her alice recognized mine as a non-threat so it shut down." He looked towards Ruka and Hotaru. "You guys should stay here in case she wakes up. I have to do something."

Natsume turned slightly at the level voice that called his surname. Hotaru stood just outside of Mikan's room and their eyes met in silent communication. Natsume nodded. "I'll take care of it."

Hotaru stared at Natsume's back until he disappeared around a corner. It dawned on her from time to time that she and Natsume were similar in some ways. They have the same cynical point of view of the academy and life in general, they have the same technique in dealing with their emotions which is to ignore it until it goes away, they are also coveted and envied mostly only for their alices and they try to avoid any kind of attachments. But when they couldn't, they treat it with wariness and they try to maintain some distance but both are also possessive towards those who managed to sneak through their defenses.

Today, Hotaru found one other thing they have in common; if the one they think of as theirs was hurt by something other than themselves, they make damn sure that it will not happen a second time. One way or another.

---

Natsume approached Natsume, his face tense and anxious, but before he opened his mouth, Natsume cut him off. "She's fine. What's being done?"

Narumi eyed the thirteen year old boy, standing in his usual stance; hands in his pocket, arrogant and aggressive. His red ruby eyes were focused on the four students who were forming a barrier around the tree. He looked relaxed and at ease, almost bored but it didn't fool Narumi one bit.

"We're trying to find out what caused it, but…"The blond shrugged. "Misaki thinks that, well, the tree had been with the academy for so long.."

"You're going to destroy it or not?"

Narumi stared at Natsume, his purple eyes sympathetic but sad.

"Of course we are, it's in the rules, and anything that goes against the academy gets destroyed. Surely you of all people should know that."

The chiding and yet smug tone in Persona's voice grated on Natsume's nerve. But his face was as flat and impassive as ever when he turned towards the lipstick wearing-cross dressing teacher. "What are you doing here?"

Narumi glanced from Natsume to Persona and back again. "I called him, to find out the easiest and safest way to destroy it."

He narrowed his eyes at the purple smile on Persona's face, knowing full well the easiest and safest way to do it. Persona's alice. With one touch, the huge tree is history.

"But of course, since you're here. I'll just leave it up to you. Oh, and send my regards to your little kitty." He waved airily, then turned his back on them. Natsume permitted himself a snarl, it always gave him the creeps every time Persona brought Mikan into their conversation.

Narumi called after him. "Wait. Persona. Wait, please."

"Let him go. I don't need his help."

Narumi's brow wrinkled. "But you just came from a mission and you've already used enough of your alice today. Besides I don't think your alice is enough to actually kill it."

There was a glint in Natsume's eyes that spoke of. "Don't talk as if you know everything about me or my alice."

Misaki sempai appeared from behind him. "He's right. Even with your fire, if you did manage to burn it, it will probably take days. Even with an accelerant-"

"Don't bother."

"Nat-" Narumi caught his breath at the sudden flare of heat, Narumi and Misaki stepped back, instinctively recognizing the threat to their safety. Students that were standing around stood transfixed when they felt the temperature rise in an alarming rate.

"Move." The word was spoken in a low voice but it carried through the open field. The barrier alices turned and broke into a run as fast as they could.

Both of the teachers gasped at the pressure of Natsume's power, the air around them turned dry and stifling, suffocating as they dragged hot, dry air into their lungs.

Sumire, Yuu, Koko and Monchu turned a corner and drew to a stop when they saw Natsume, eyes wide, their jaws hanging open.

"It's blue. Natsume-kun's fire is blue." Sumire breathed the hot hair, her emerald eyes fixated on the solemn youth whose two hands were covered in blue flame.

And as they watched, the flame turned alive and spread up his arms and traveled all over his body. His raven hair and school uniform whipping crazily like he was standing in a storm. The air simply trembled with his power.

Amazed and struck dumb, they were also hypnotized by its beauty and elegance, seduced by the temptation of absolute power.

"Better step back." Natsume's voice seemed to echo across the grounds and needless to say, he was obeyed instantly even before they saw the blood red color of his pupils in sharp contrast with the electric sapphire color of his fire.

Maybe it was an illusion created by the heat or the lack of oxygen because in a blink, Natsume disappeared from their eyes and appeared again above their heads, shining brightly like a blue sun before disappearing completely into the depths of green. In less than two seconds, blue fire spread across the tree until it was completely overwhelmed by Natsume's fire.

Shocked, they watched as Natsume landed on the ground gracefully, crouching low with his fingers lightly grazing the ground. The blue fire surrounding his body complimented the cool beauty of his face, his calm and unflappable expression. The untamed motion of its fiery arms suited the intense swirl of emotion in his eyes.

Natsume stood slowly and straightened, his blue fire disappeared fast with a big whooshing sound like it was sucked back into him.

Without a backward look, he stuck his hands back into his pockets and walked on calmly, ignoring the looks that followed him.

The news spread like…wild fire, bringing people to the scene to look at the huge tree currently being eaten by blue flames. They watched the slow demise of the ancient tree, strangely solemn and respectful, they continued to stare at it in silence until its last ashes were blown away by the cool night breeze.

It only took three hours for Natsume's fire to consume the tree.

----

Mikan rolled her eyes and made faces to Koko and Kitsuneme while the frustrated doctor tried to shine her eyes with a flash light but she continued to babble at him.

Ruka was trying to stop Hotaru from getting out her baka gun and shoot Mikan between the eyes. Anna was playing with the uneaten plate of Jell-O on Mikan's tray while her best friend Konoko was playing with an unused IV drip. Sumire however was trying to catch the apples that Monchu was levitating in the air.

A six year old Youichi was sitting on Mikan's lap, glaring darkly towards the doctor, not letting him touch her at all.

The doctor felt a slight headache growing in his head when the door opened and in came Natsume.

"Ah, here's my partner, Natsume Hyuuga." Mikan beamed at the doctor, stressing Natsume's full name. Through out the years, Mikan learned that there are actually benefits from being Natsume's partner/slave that counter acts all of the negative aspects of their partnership.

Natsume smirked, reading her intention, glad and relieved that she was already up and about. He rumpled Yoichi's hair in lieu of a greeting. "Easy on the name, Youjo. You'll wear it out."

Mikan turned to him and smile, bright eyes blinked at him, her pajama clad body brimming with energy. "Let's go."

Natsume sat on the sofa that Monchu vacated, grabbed a magazine from Sumire and leafed over it. "We're going somewhere?"

Mikan's hope for an early check out took a nose dive but of course, Mikan being Mikan, bounced back. "It doesn't make any sense for me to stay here much longer. I'm perfectly fine." She looked at the doctor and smiled sweetly. "I'm sure you can find someone else who'll need it more than I do."

If this was Natsume or any other person, it was a definite surety that these sweet words served as a plot for something much more sinister. But since it was Mikan, they believed it. It's all puppy dog tails and lollipops with her.

"We can't release you just yet, you should stay for at least two or three more days."

Mikan groaned in abject misery. "But I'm fine. Natsume-kun, tell him I'm fine."

At the order, Natsume lifted his face, looked at her, looked at the doctor then with a voice as flat as his expression, said, "I'm fine."

Everybody snickered when Mikan threw an indignant look at Natsume's head which she followed through with a pillow. A frustrated screech erupted from Mikan's throat when without even looking, Natsume caught the pillow, plopped it on the end of the sofa then laid his head gently on it. "Doc, maybe you should also check her blood pressure while you're at it." Natsume drawled. "And her cycle, too."

"Urusai, pervert!" She scowled at him but he ignored her so she pouted. "Mou, I can't stay here any longer. I'm fine." If her feet reached the floor, she would've stomped it in vexation.

"If you say it often enough maybe we'll believe you next time." Natsume crossed his ankles and shifted on the sofa, making himself comfortable, over the magazine, he can see Ruka setting himself down on the sofa's arm near his feet, Yoichi on his lap. He looked anxious as he kept sneaking glances towards Natsume and Mikan.

"Yuu, you can see that I'm fine, right?"

Yuu, who was sitting quietly in a corner, blinked. He looked at Natsume and blinked again. He played with his glasses, took it off, wiped it on his shirt, peered through the lenses for a couple of seconds than wiped it again. After a full minute of watching Yuu fiddle with his glasses like he was trying to search for a new way to wear them, Mikan realized that is he not going to answer her. _Coward._

She turned hopeful eyes to Kitsuneme who was levitating in a slow rocking motion, when their eyes met, he merely turned his back on her. _Traitor._

Adamant on her release, she turned towards Sumire who in fixed her eyes on the cracks along the marble floor that gave her a weird peculiar sensation that she'd been here before. Persistently, Mikan turned her waist to meet the eyes of Koko who already guessed that he was next in line, snapped his face away towards the window, Monchu sprawled on his back mimicking road kill. Anna and Konoko was shifting through each others hair like monkeys.

Her eyes barely met Yoichi's before the six year old feigned interest in his boots.

She looked at Hotaru and then _she_ turned away when her stoic faced friend lifted her baka gun…her newly upgraded baka gun.

Knowing it was her last chance at freedom, desperate and bored out of her mind, she aimed her brightest, sweetest, deadliest smile on Ruka who immediately jerked and straightened in his seat.

"Ruka-pyooooooon, pleeeease. I'll just die of boredom if I stay here any longer. I will, I know it." For extra impact she pouted at him and gave her puppiest dog eyes.

Natsume blinked at the sugary persuasive voice and lifted a brow when she tilted her head down and looked at Ruka through eyelashes that flickered slightly in innocent temptation.

He felt his temperature rise slowly and one look at Ruka showed his best friend was blushing painfully. Sweat beaded his forehead, his blue, blue eyes were blinking in rapid intervals, his mouth was opening and closing. "I…I…you…"

_Lovesick fool_, Natsume took pity on Ruka and stood up, distracting Mikan's Smile of Doom from Ruka. Steeling himself against the onslaught of sweet innocence, he crossed his arms and quirked an eyebrow at her.

When others had quailed and bowed in submission under this gesture, Mikan merely pursed her lips and stared back; her eyes calculating. When it comes to Natsume, cautiousness is always a plus.

"I'm fine. Really I am." She lifted her hands for his inspection. "See? No red marks." Hotaru's lips curved slightly into a smile at her best friend's enthusiasm and endearing….stupidity. Natsume swept crimson eyes over her face, disbelief clear in their depths, responding to it, Mikan sent a smile so innocent, it bordered on holy. As everyone else squinted at the magnificence of such a smile except for Natsume who has martial art's control and discipline and Hotaru who put some shades on.

"Hm." The sound that resounded in the room was open to interpretation. To Mikan it sounds like; okay, I'm listening and am willing to consider. Talk more.

While to Hotaru it sounds like; watch me as I reel you into my trap where you will be ruthlessly crush until you are no more but a quivering, cowering bundle of nerves.

To Ruka and the others..well..they just know that it is not good.

Natsume narrowed his eyes, placed a finger under her chin, tilting her face from side to side, inspecting her neck. "No, red marks." He muttered grudgingly.

Mikan beamed and allowed him to pushed her sleeves back, inspecting her arms. Mikan threw a smile towards the gang who looked back solemnly, anticipating doom.

She giggled when Natsume lifted her legs with his fingers on her ankles, inspecting her calves. He sighed. "Well, it does look like you're right."

Mikan goggled. "Natsume-kun. "Did you just said what I think you just said?" She snapped her eyes towards Hotaru. "Hotaru, did you hear that? Did you get that on tape?"

Hotaru's eyes gleamed. "If you want it, it'll be one thousand rabbits."

Natsume shrugged. "Miracles have been known to happen."

Then he frowned.

_Oh-oh._ _Here it comes,_ the others muttered.

"Wait, I think there's something.." Natsume squinted at her face.

Suddenly afraid that she grew warts or something, she touched her cheeks. "What? What?"

Natsume leaned his face forward, eyes still narrowed. "No, no. Don't touch it. It looks like…" Natsume brought his hands onto her face while she anxiously waited for him to finish talking.

GUITS!!!

"GYYAAAAA!!!! IHHHAAAAAAII!!!! HAHASTE!!! HEH HEE HOO!!"

"Hyuuga-san. Let her go." The doctor turned panic eyes towards the scene in front of him, Natsume was pinching and stretching Mikan's cheek as if it was made out of rubber. "What did you do that for, you big bully?" Mikan sniffed, rubbing both her reddening cheeks, glaring at Natsume behind her tears. Natsume turned cooly towards the doctor, "Those look like red marks to you?"

"Uh, yes."

Mikan widened her eyes in disbelief. She was surrounded by traitors.

"Then she's staying."

"What? That is totally unfair. I'm fine. Nothing is wrong with me. Hotaruuuu." She whined and waved her arms around but Hotaru merely stood up and walked towards the door following Natsume.

"Bye, Mikan. Get some rest okay."

"Bye.Bye, nee-chan."

"We'll bring you some cookies tomorrow."

"Get well soon. You should sleep. We'll come back tomorrow."

One by one they all went out, leaving her at the doctor's mercy. "Traitooors."

Natsume eyed the closed door. "You don't believe it was an accident either, do you?"

He turned and met cool violet eyes but kept his silence.

"You're not going to tell me. But I have to say, the one behind it must be pretty strong to distraught that tree like that. You have someone in mind?"

As if he spoke Hotaru nodded. "Of course you do." Then she walked past him. "I've installed a camera in her room, if it's someone that doesn't belong in her room. It'll set off an alarm."

He sent a sidelong wary glance at her. "What kind of alarm?"

She threw a look over her shoulder, her eyes glinting in the shadows. "Loud ones."

When she disappeared at the corner, Natsume muttered something along the lines of 'girls are crazy'.

-----

Hotaru cackled with glee while the others sweat dropped and moved further away from the Ruka's freezing cold and Natsume's blast of heat as they stood inside of Mikan's hospital room the next morning since they've agreed to check on her before class started.

They already expected to have the staff half crazed with frustration but so in love with her that they will be feeding her grapes with their bare hands, so it wasn't a surprise when two nurses got out of Mikan's room giggling all the while saying things like 'cute' and 'sweet'. What they didn't expect, except Hotaru who knew all about it since she was monitoring Mikan's room, was the eighteen year old boy, fast asleep with his arms around her, looking cute and comfortable with eachother.

Face tight like a mask, Natsume slammed the door closed and narrowed his eyes when both of them snapped awake.

"Who? What?" Tsubasa blinked his eyes in the sunlight, his arms still around Mikan who sighed softly and stretched, her pyjama top riding high on her stomach as she smiled towards Tsubasa. "G'morning, sempai."

Tsubasa who already noticed the number of people standing on one corner of the bed and two other boys at the foot of the bed glowering at him, wasn't so sure about the good part of the morning, but it'll sure be an interesting one.

"Morning, brat." Just for kicks, he leaned down and pressed a kiss on the top of her head and chuckled when the large group winced, except Hotaru who was pulling out a camera, and the two boys sent him dagger looks. Man, if looks could kill. "Sweetie, I think we have some company."

Mikan frowned and turned. "Oh, hey guys." Her smile bloomed as she struggled to sit up and giggled when Tsubasa held her waist to help her.

"Uh, hi." They muttered at her.

"What." Natsume hissed. "Is he doing here?"

Mikan pouted at him. "I called him. I was bored." She sent an accusing glance at her friends. "You guys didn't want to stay with me."

Tsubasa leaned back against the bed and stretched. "Give her a break, Hyuuga. She's gone through a lot. It's only natural that she didn't want to be alone."

"We left her alone so she'll rest."

Tsubasa propped Mikan against him. "What she needed was comfort. Besides, who's to say she wasn't resting?"

Natsume narrowed red ruby eyes, glinting in the sunlight like jewels. "And at what time did you guys finally stop playing last night?"

Tsubasa rolled his eyes. "Geez, Hyuuga. What are you? Her mother?"

Anger enveloped Natsume's face, heating up his intense eyes as he took a step forward towards the bed.

"Mou, Tsubasa-sempai. Don't tease Natsume-kun like that." She looked at Natsume and the others. "I'm sorry. You're right, Natsume. It's just that. I was lonely."

Natsume gritted his teeth. "Then you should've called one of us." _You should've called me._

Sad amber eyes met angry red ones. "Don't be mad, Natsume-kun. I don't like it when you're mad at me." She crawled on the bed and reached for Natsume's sleeve. "It's just that I heard what you did from the nurses and figured you'd be tired and the others too. I was actually hoping to ask you tonight." Mikan leaned forward and sneaked a peek on Natsume's lowered head. "Is that okay?"

Natsume's heart can be made out of graphite for all he know and it will probably still melt because of that sweet, sweet face. _Stay strong, Natsume. Don't be so weak. _But the pleading look in her eyes softened him His scowl didn't have a chance. _Damn it!_

"Fine. Here."

Mikan blinked at the box of Hawalons and she beamed at him. "Arigatou, Natsume."

Natsume glared at Ruka who was making whipping motions in the air. The others chuckled.

"Yare, yare. Then I'll be off then." Tsubasa scooted towards the edge of the bed, put on his socks and boots and his hat. His jacket hung from his finger over his shoulder. When he stood up he slid his dark eyes towards the two boys and pulled on Mikan's loose hair.

"Oh, princess." Mikan's big, big eyes swerved towards him and he chuckled at the crumbs near her cute little mouth. He brushed it away and can feel two pair of eyes, glaring at him as though picking which body part to cut off first. "Remember what you promised last night?"

Mikan blinked and tilted her head. "Oh, yeah." Eyes widened as she crawled towards Tsubasa and tilted her head up as Tsubasa leaned down. Sneaking a glance at the boys who looked like they're about to have an apoplectic fit, it was only at the last second that Tsubasa shift his head and let Mikan pressed her soft, soft lips on his right cheek. He grinned at her. "Thank you, baby."

Hotaru checked her pictures on her new digital camera and smirked when Tsubasa walked..no, swaggered in front of Ruka and Natsume. The air was filled with tensity while darling little Mikan sat on the bed, oblivious, munching on Hawalons. Suddenly, like he couldn't take it anymore, Natsume turned on his heel and walked out, slamming the door behind him.

Mikan stared at the door. "What..I thought he wasn't mad anymore."

The Pack exchanged glances and sighed.


	5. These Times Together

E**XODUS**

**Chapter Five: These Times Together**

**A/N: Need I say that this was beta read by stardrop...again?**

------------------

Natsume was not sulking.

Natsume did not sulk. Natsume brooded. Lurked. Plotted.

He_never_ sulked. Ruka was just insane. Just because _he_ was sulking didn't mean that Natsume was too. Even though they were good friends, that didn't mean that they did everything together.

He combed his fingers through his raven locks to get rid of the pink Sakura petals on his head and continued sul...erm, brooding on top of his Sakura Tree.

He was definitely **NOT **jealous. He was disgusted, that was what. Disgusted that such a pervert like Andou actually existed in the same area as him. Breathed the same air as him. He was shocked that he was actually breathing, period.

Bright red eyes glinted in displeasure. "I can do something about that." But his day dream about torturing Tsubasa in the many ways that he knew how was cut short by the sound of rustling leaves. His stomach jerked in surprise, but his face stayed as impassive as ever when Mikan's face appeared in front of his, eyes bugged out, tongue lolling to the side.

Hanging upside down with her knees wrapped around one of the branches, she beamed excitedly at him. "Scared you. Nyahahaha."

"You did not."

"Yes, I did. You did that little twitch thing."

Natsume gave her an arrogant stare. "I do not have 'a twitch thing'."

"Yes, you do."

"No, I don't."

"Yes," Before he continued their all around immature way of fighting, his eyebrows snapped together. "Wait, what the hell are you doing here? And get down from there. You'll fall and break your neck." Natsume winced. _Che, I do sound like her mother._ He reached for her waist and held on while she flipped and her feet touched the branch that he was sitting on.

She was still in her pajamas, so she straddled the branch and looked at him while he was doing his best to ignore her.

"Why are you mad?"

"I'm not mad."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not and stop distracting me. Why are you even here? You're supposed to be in the hospital."

"And you're supposed to be in class. So, we're even." When Natsume glared at her, she pursed her lips. "So? Why are you mad?"

"Quit it. I'm not mad."

"Then why is that vein on your forehead sticking out?"

Natsume slapped a hand on his forehead and felt nothing. Mikan grinned. "Hah! Gotcha!" She peeked at Natsume's expression, but he looked away from her. "You're mad because I kissed Tsubasa-senpai, aren't you?"

Surprised, Natsume blustered and huffed. "Why the hell should I get angry because of that?"

"I don't know. Hotaru said so. She said you're angry because I gave senpai a kiss for keeping me company, but I haven't given you anything for saving my life."

"Che, I wouldn't be so…" Natsume blinked, her words were just starting to sink in. He sent her a sidelong glance. "So, what? You're here to thank me?"

She shrugged, looking a little embarrassed, but she leaned over.

"What?" She asked when Natsume leaned back before she could kiss his cheek.

"I saved your life. Don't you think I deserve something more than what your stupid senpai got for keeping you company?"

Mikan frowned. "Well, what else…"

"A kiss."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm giving you a kiss."

"Not a peck on a cheek. A kiss."

Mikan blinked, her cheeks suddenly tinged with pink. "You mean on the lips?"

Heart pounding, Natsume wiped the sweat off his palms on his pants, but he shrugged as cool as ever. "It's only fair." He eyed her through the corner of his eyes and saw her biting her lip. "Well, if you don't want to, that's fine. Although I don't see what the big problem is, it's not like we've never kissed before…"

Natsume's heart felt like it was about to burst and his brain was screaming in silence when he realized the warm, soft thing that was stifling his words was Mikan's mouth. He felt her lips move against his and he felt as much as he heard her soft sigh. His heart tripped and spun and trembled when he felt her eyelashes fluttering, tickling his cheeks.

Mikan felt the shock that ran through Natsume in the way he stiffened and froze, but he was never one to stay inactive for long. When she felt him relax, she unconsciously sighed into the kiss and was about to suck it back again when his lips came alive against hers. His touch was soft, so soft and gentle, almost dreamlike. She felt the warmth and strength of the palm of his hand on her face, cupping her cheek, his thumb moving softly.

At first she was nervous and suspicious that this was just one of his perverted schemes, but now she was glad that she did it. Her heart felt soft and she didn't know why. His touch made her want to cry, but not because she was sad. She couldn't understand it, but she was beginning to get used to the fact that her thoughts and feelings about Natsume would never be as clear as her feelings and thoughts about every body else. He didn't fit into just one part of her life; he was not just a friend, not just a special person in her life, and not just family.

A cool spring breeze swept through the branches of the Sakura Tree, showering them in a storm of soft pink petals, falling over the two teenagers, lost in each other and the first stirrings of awakening desire.

Natsume let Mikan set the tone, thankful for anything that he could get and following her every move, he kept it light and almost chaste. Already giddy and lightheaded on her trust and surrender, how she opened her mouth without pressure from his, but still he kept it soft and affectionate. Showing his appreciation towards her gesture, her willingness to touch him, to give something as precious as a kiss to him, he closed his eyes tightly, overwhelmed by his emotions, and savored it.

When she lifted her lips from his, he let her…and missed her.

He watched her silently, watched her eyelashes flutter open and her amber eyes nervously met his. She saw the question in his eyes and smiled shyly in answer. Looking at her, smiling, her cheeks as pink as the Sakura petals that was streaming above and all over them, her amber eyes bright, her caramel hair fluttering in the wind, he was dazzled yet again.

Mikan saw the gentleness in his red ruby eyes, beautiful just like his face, peeking out from his 'in-need-of-a-cut' raven bangs. Sitting in front of her, looking as pensive and quiet as ever. A dark and hard figure in a setting of nature's softness, yet it fit him somehow. Rather than handsome, Natsume was closer to beautiful without being feminine. Years made that beauty colder, edgier, and some even said cruel, but Mikan saw him differently and always did; lonely, strong, gentle, and sometimes even a little bit shy.

She kept her eyes on his face when he lifted a hand to her hair, his eyes following the downward trail of his fingers through the strands of her hair. When he lifted that hand in front of her eyes, there were several pink petals inside his palm, he opened it and they watched as it fluttered away.

Mikan touched his hand and his eyes returned to hers. "Thank you, Natsume."

He didn't offer up a smile or say anything; instead he leaned his forehead against hers and closed his eyes.

She hadn't said anything to anyone about what happened to her yesterday, and that the sole purpose of her calling her senpai was because she was afraid to be alone. But now, now, everything felt all right again. Natsume could be a great pain, but strangely, he was one of the most calming influences in her life…and she should've known that Natsume would've felt compelled to ruin this perfect moment.

"So," he began, "you're not going to start thanking every one like this, right?"

"**Natsume**…."

He smirked, and then turned his back towards her. "You have to go back to the hospital."

She moaned miserably, but she hitched herself on his back anyway. "Do I have to?"

He jumped down, landed lightly on the ground in front of startled underclassmen, who choked on their lunches. "Yes."

She inched down on her feet and hunched her shoulders when he frowned at her, or more precisely, at her feet. "Where are your shoes?"

She scowled. "The nurses have it. They think I'm a flight risk."

Natsume rolled his eyes and turned his back again. People blinked when they saw a slip of a girl still in her pajamas climbing onto the back of the notorious Natsume Hyuuga.

"Giddy up, Natsume-kun."

His left brow twitching, he started to walk after securing her weight with his hands on her thighs. "Keep that up, polka, and I'm going to tell the doctor that you need a flu shot."

The sound of her inhaling sharply made him want to grin, and so did the disbelief and betrayed tone in her words. "You wouldn't _dare_."

"Just try me."

She circled her arms on his neck. "I'll just tell them you're lying."

"Oh?" Just by his voice, Mikan knew his right eyebrow was up. "And who do you think will they believe? A two star, who ran away from her room or a special star, who caught her sneaking out?"

"You did not catch me sneaking out."

"But they don't know that, do they?" By the sudden weight he felt on his shoulders and her sudden quietness, he knew she was pouting. "If you stay there until tomorrow, we'll see about getting you out."

He regretted his show of kindness when she squealed into his ear. Deaf in one ear, he yelled for her to shut up, but Mikan merely snickered and hugged him tighter.

And if along the way, people stopped to stare at the bouncing, squealing, hugging girl on Natsume Hyuuga's back, both of them ignored it.

Natsume sighed. "You're such a pest, oujo."

--------

Hotaru frowned at her camera. "Good thing I brought extra batteries or I would've missed some good shots. I have to remember that."

"I can't believe you dragged me here to tape them." Ruka hugged his knees, his heart breaking at the need and affection that he saw on Natsume's and Mikan's faces. He leaned his chin on his knees. Ruka had known of course, he knew, but...he couldn't give up the hope. As long as there was a chance, even if the odds were against him, he…Ruka pressed his fingers on his eyelids, hard.

Guess there was no use on hoping anymore.

"Better you know now than later."

The cool and steady tone from the girl sitting beside him pulled a smile from him. "Trust you to be so...realistic, Imai."

"Would you rather not know?"

Ruka's blue, blue eyes shifted towards his all-time tormentor, her hands busy with the contraption in her hands. "Yeah, I guess."

The motion of her hands didn't stop; they kept fiddling with pieces of machinery and for a little while, the only sounds between them were the whispering of winds and the metallic clink of her screwdriver while Ruka watched the gentle swirl of Sakura petals.

"That's stupid."

Ruka blinked at the nonchalant tone and just started laughing until he almost toppled off the tree they were sitting on. He chuckled. "Yeah. Yeah, it is."

----------

"Oujo. I swear to _Kami_, if you ask me that one more time, I'm going to tell the doctor you need shock treatment. Now, go to _sleep_," Natsume whispered harshly.

The hospital room was dark, but here and there were the white glow of blankets and silver glints of sleeping bags zippers. The pack had settled to sleep on their choice of floor except Hotaru, who conquered the other empty hospital bed and Natsume, who vetoed the room's only couch. Deep breathing and light snores filled the night just as shadows crept in along with the silver fingers of moonlight.

Natsume sighed, burrowed deeper into his blanket, and closed his eyes…then opened them again when he felt _them_. Them, as in her eyes, staring straight at him, prodding him awake. "Oujo, stop staring at me and go to sleep."

"I wasn't staring at you."

"Yes, you were."

"No, I wasn't."

Knowing that this is just a ruse to distract him, he settled and closed his eyes. "Fine, so you weren't. Go to sleep."

He should've known that she wouldn't quit that easily. She started humming.

He ignored it. She started tapping her toenail on the iron railings.

He ignored it. She started to scratch her fingernails on her blankets.

He ignored it, although he was wishing very hard for Hotaru's baka gun.

She started whispering his name, which grew louder and louder.

"Oh for Kami's sake." He sat up and tossed the blankets from his legs." Why won't you go to sleep?"

She sat up to and pouted at him. "I can't. I already took a nap this afternoon and if I take a nap, I can't go to sleep at night."

"Then why did you?"

"It's not like I meant to. I fell asleep."

"Fine." Natsume sighed. "What do you want to do? Are you hungry?"

She gave him a glance, as if trying to figure out how much leniency he was willing to give her. He sort of liked that look on her. "A bit."

Natsume rolled his eyes. "Figures. You're always hungry. Fine, I'll raid the hospital kitchen, but no whining. You eat what I get, alright?"

She beamed at him and nodded. "Yes, Natsume-kun."

He looked at her suspiciously. "I mean it."

She nodded. "Okay."

He walked outside, but still kept her in his sight, not used to the biddable side of his.

"Don't forget dessert, Natsume-kun. It's chocolate cake today."

"Chocolate cake, huh?"

Mikan smiled to the waving hand at the door.


	6. All Good Things

**EXODUS**

Chapter Six: All Good things

Disc: Not mine.

--------

His thoughts on chocolate cake were interrupted when he sensed a familiar ki behind him. "What is it?"

Persona slipped out of the shadows with a peculiar smile on his purple lips. "How are you doing?"

Natsume stared on ahead. "Fine."

"No pain? Shocks?"

"I said I'm fine."

Natsume stifled an expression of distaste at the sound of Persona's heels on the nearly empty hallway. "Nevertheless, we should prepare. Report back in the morning, we'll take care of it."

"Fine."

"So biddable." He gave a strangely sweet smile and turned on his heel but Natsume still stood there, aware and alert. He smiled bitterly when Persona stopped and called out, his hands twitching when he heard the asked figure mention his pet name for Mikan. Ko Neko alias little kitty.

"She's fine. Thank you for asking."

He practically giggled. "Polite, too. Ko Neko has really done wonders for you. Well, take care of her then. We wouldn't want to lose such a good influence, would we?"

Natsume inserted his hands into his pocket, unsure whether he only imagined the slight threat in his so called mentor's words.

When he was sure that Persona was gone, he continued to walk, his mind only slightly diverted by chocolate cake and red strawberries. Since the academy had recruited quite a number of dangerous abilities, he wasn't the only one getting his ass kicked. At fourteen, he was already considered a pro, and he found that if he did the job well enough, fast enough, perfect enough, he actually got some slack. So he trained more, learned more, practice more. Gone was the reckless Natsume, and in his place was the finely tune mind of a strategy and tactics master. He planned, he considered, he discarded and learned so when he go out on missions, he knew exactly what to do, when to do it, how to do it.

He trained his stamina and to stop him from losing too much of it, he only used his Alice as a last resort. He trained hard on his martial arts, stealth and weapons skills. As a result, he is once again the top of his class year after year, feared and envied, trusted with missions with the highest rate of difficulty. He went away longer and did more than anyone else.

As long as he stayed civil and dutiful, his friends are safe. One will question his dignity, his pride, his self worth, but how can one think highly of himself when he gets one of his friends in trouble because he was too proud?

There were sacrifices and there were sacrifices and so far, Natsume did not regret the choices that he made. He has friends that trusts him, who, he knew, will back him up against any insane odds without being asked. He is happy with what he has and grateful enough to restrain any of his rebellious streak. Oh, he still rebelled but he did it in such a way that nobody can say anything against him. Besides, he was the best and was indispensable enough that the academy always think twice before rejecting or punishing him.

Natsume blinked when he found Hotaru snacking on a pint of ice cream in the kitchen. He frowned, wondering how the hell the girl sneaked out of Mikan's room without him noticing but he only nodded to her while he opened the fridge. He gave up long ago on understanding the nature of Hotaru Imai, even though how much a genius he is.

"Chocolate cake is in the other fridge."

Natsume slanted his red eyes at the cool bland voice and moved to the said fridge and sure enough he found several pieces of uneaten chocolate cake. He felt Hotaru's gaze on his back but ignored it, knowing that she'll speak her mind sooner or later. His relationship with Hotaru was based on them being close to Mikan, they weren't particularly friends and he knows that any help that Hotaru gives him is because of Mikan. He didn't have any insane ideas that she considered him a friend or something like that and he was satisfied enough that Hotaru trusted him with Mikan. As he trusted Hotaru to take care of Mikan when he wasn't there. He respected her for that and respected her for being the only one whose mind he can't read.

"Hyuuga."

_Here we go_, Natsume turned, leaned casually on the kitchen counter and sippid on his glass of milk. When the girl just stared at him with her icy violet ice, he quirked an eyebrow. Always ready for the little dance that they always do where Hotaru will try to chip away at his composure by needling him about Mikan and him dodging every trap she set at every corner. He always considers it as a very interesting mind exercise.

He crossed his legs at the ankles, suddenly uneasy when he didn't see the usual sadistic glee in her eyes, instead she looked serious and by the subtle wrinkle between her brows, worried. The spoon she was holding onto earlier was stuck in the carton, discarded on the kitchen island. "I don't like what happened yesterday."

Seeing as they shared that particular feeling, he was struck by a feeling of companionship, a feeling that he rarely shared with her. He shifted and sat across from her on the island, tearing open bag of chips. "It was an accident."

Her eyes flashed. "How stupid do you think I am?"

Natsume looked at her, his expression thoughtful. Stupid is not a word that he'll ever use to describe Hotaru; sadistic bitch, extortionist extraordinaire, crime lordess, evil mastermind maybe, but never stupid. "I don't think you're stupid at all, Imai."

"You don't think it's an accident either."

He swallowed, looking nonchalant as hell, intrigued by the swirling emotions he sees in her eyes. "Do I?"

Hotaru's eyes snapped at him and he felt it like a slap of air. "Why are you so tense, Imai? Do you know something I don't?"

He can see her thinking, considering, choosing which scrap of information that she will share. "Persona's been watching her."

Hotaru scanned his face for his reaction but it was as impassive as ever, but she noted that his hands paused for a second.

He stuffed several chips into his mouth. "What do you mean?"

Violet eyes narrowed subtly, a gleam appeared in her eyes that reminded him who he was against. He watched warily when her face smoothened and she reached for the ice cream again. "You know that he's watching her." She said, sure of herself. "What does he want with the baka?"

If she was someone else he would take offense because of her name calling. Since it was Hotaru, he considered the insult as a term of affection. It was scary how eerily similar they are in some ways. "Why do you think I'd know anything about that?"

She smiled, and unlike her best friend, her smile gave out a whole different feeling; suspicion, wariness, the urge to run screaming for cover. "Because you'd make it your business to know." She licked her spoon and waved it in the air like a magic wand, the familiar gesture reminded him of the wacky play they had when they were twelve with her playing the fairy godmother. She gave a whole new meaning to the word godmother as in the female version of 'Godfather'. She could give Marlon Brando a run for his money. "You_ have_ been in love with her since you were ten."

Aaah, so they were back to their usual dance.

"I think you're mistaken. Maybe you've confused my life with yours and that obvious crush you have on Ruka. How is that going anyway? I told you that black mailing is not the best way to a guys heart, didn't I?"

He knew he was getting somewhere when he saw her left eye gave a hint of a twitch. It reminded him to never play poker with the girl, she has one hell of a poker face.

"You're the last person to give advice on love, Hyuuga. Your definition of love is to peek at the girl's underwear, grope her boobs, and call her stupid."

Amused Natsume merely quirked an eyebrow. "And yours is to blackmail the boy just so he'll spend time with you that almost always ends in his ultimate humilliation."

They stared at each other, both feeling the sting of truth in each other's words, and snorted. "Maybe we should just date each other.

Natsume crunched on chips.

Hotaru licked her spoon.

Both of them winced.

Natsume stuff more chips in his mouth. "Forget what I just said."

Hotaru shoved more ice cream into her mouth. "Already did."

Both of them turned equally irritated looks at the door when it swung open, ready to intimidate any stranger that dared to interrupt their conversation. But Natsume grinned when a boy with blond locks and sleepy blue eyes blinked at them.

He flashed a smirk at Hotaru but didn't comment on it. It was an understanding that they had, they are allowed to tease the hell out of each other about their crushes but only when they are alone.

Ruka searched a drawer for a spoon and showed amazing courage by snatching the carton of ice cream from Hotaru's hand and digging in. "So this is where you guys disappeared to." After a nod of approval at the ice cream's flavor, he nudged Hotaru so he can sit beside her. Totally ignoring Natsume's snort of laughter and the disbelief in Hotaru's face as she looked at her empty hand, still curled as though she was holding _her_ pint of ice cream. Ruka licked his spoon then shot dirty looks at the both of them. "Sakura woke me up to search for you guys."

Natsume grunted but kept his eyes on Hotaru. Her dumbstruck expression told him that her brain was still trying to figure out what exactly had happened. It was a familiar look, one that appeared on his face every time Mikan succeeded in making him do something that he swore he'd never do like smiling, actually be nice once in a while, climb a tree to help a stray cat or help out old people across the street.

He liked seeing it on somebody else's face for a change.

"Nogi."

Natsume almost shivered hearing the glacial temperature in Hotaru's voice. A murderous glint appeared in shades of violet. "_What_ are you doing?"

Red eyes squinted over the rim of his glass, watching Ruka shifted his blue eyes towards the girl who was glaring at him, then to his hands then to her again in a perfect imitation of his trademark sardonic glance. "What does it look like I'm doing? I thought you were supposed to be smart."

Natsume almost choked on his milk, but he continued to take big gulps. He can almost feel the icy blast of her ki as she subtly narrowed her eyes at Ruka who kept looking at her with an innocent look on his face. "That's _mine_."

Natsume wiped the milk mustache, he knew that tone, knew what the slight growl in her voice meant. He'd heard it enough in Mikan's voice whenever he grabbed something that she was eating. Those two completely different girls have that in common, they can be downright mean when it comes to food.

Without taking his eyes off from the pair in front of him, he groped around for his pack of chips and almost killed himself when Ruka, not impressed with Hotaru's menacing stare, rolled his eyes and then shoved a big spoonful of ice cream into her mouth. "For God's sake, Imai. Although you try to deny it and I know that a lot of people question it from time to time, I know that there is a decent human being somewhere deep, deep inside of you. Find her. Embrace her." He started digging in again. "Learn to share and live with us normal human beings."

Red eyes watched gleefully as Hotaru swallowed slowly. "Normal, huh? Right now other words come into mind."

Ruka merely smiled sweetly then placed the pint in front of her and licked his fingers. "I'm starved. I want to make a sandwich. Want one, Natsume?"

"Yeah, sure." He smirked at Hotaru whose usually icy eyes were heated right now. Her cheeks were flushed with anger and annoyance. Anger suited her, just as it suited her friend and now that he thought about it, it wasn't particularly strange that Ruka can handle Hotaru. God knows, he can be just as difficult as Hotaru and Ruka handles him just fine.

He suspected that Ruka had learned a thing or two from Mikan, the deceptively oblivious smile on Ruka's face is suspiciously familiar, just like the good natured air that surrounded his best friend while he gathered ingredients and utensils from around the kitchen. It was Mikan's most ultimate secret weapon, one she use as she blithely plow over any resistance and obstacles, determinedly ignoring any refusals until each and every one of them finally gives up and bows before her in submission.

Speaking of Mikan. "Hey, Ruka, make one for baka, will you?"

"Sure." He sneaked a glance towards Hotaru as he piled ingredients on the island and started to chop an onion. "Want one?"

Without even missing a beat she refused the offer instantly but the chopping motions of Ruka's hands didn't even pause. "I thought sulking was above you, Imai."

Natsume shifted his eyes towards the ceiling then walked towards the fridge to pour himself another glass of milk and to get away from the line of fire. He grinned at his reflection on the gleaming surface of bottles when he heard the snap in Hotaru's voice, totally enjoying that someone else is being pestered for a change.

"I _never_ sulk."

"Imai, admit it. You're sulking. If you're not than you wouldn't refuse. You like my sandwiches."

"I don't like _you_. So, I don't want your sandwiches."

Natsume's hand stop in mid pour and shut his eyes, suddenly Ruca's and Hotaru's banter didn't sound so funny anymore, it wasn't even the slightest bit entertaining, it shifted from humorous to down right scary.

There it was; their pattern. Their referring to him and Mikan where Mikan will nag at him, scored half truths that'll embarrass and irritate him and at the same time he'll baffled on how she can read him so easily thus resulting in him shooting his mouth off where Mikan will take offense and stop away from him, leaving him, miserable and alone.

When he peeked at Ruka from over his shoulder and sure enough, his best friend was looking at the tomatoes he was chopping just a little too hard. Natsume winced, here is where their pattern differed; where Mikan will scream her head off in a fit of healthy anger which is why she can find it in herself to always forgive him in the end, Ruka, well, Ruka is not as forgiving.

Ruka will simmer, will mull, brood, sulk, like a pot filled with boiling water just waiting to spew over. And he knew Hotaru well enough that she'll probably gag on an apology like he would've. Natsume sighed, spotting the tightness around Hotaru's mouth and since he didn't want a pissed off Hotaru around him, guess he had to take care of it.

"Imai, you know that if you don't eat now, baka will hound you and make you eat her sandwich and then she'll get hungry again and guess who will she hound to get her food? I'm not taking this trip twice. You're eating even if I have to stuff it into your mouth myself."

His crankiness was belied by the eyebrow quirk that he gave. Hotaru pressed her lips together but muttered a grudging, "Fine."

Before she shoots the back of Ruka's head after he gave her an extremely smug smile that almost brought tears of pride to his eyes, he wrestled the baka gun away from Hotaru's hands.

Hotaru consoled herself with ice cream and watched the two boys muck around from beneath her eyelashes. She wondered when the two boys had become so comfortable with her and it wasn't just those two boys, so did the others. She knew it was partly because of Mikan, her presence made herself more accessible somehow, more approachable.

She smirked and hid the ultra spy camera, already counting her rabbits; Natsume and Ruka only in their pajama bottoms and basket ball jerseys, cooking will get her loads of rabbits. The two boys looked like they've forgotten that she was there, but she didn't mind, it made it all the more easy to observe them joking around in front of the stove.

It was easy to see the changes; it was in their demeanor, the relaxed set of their shoulders and the easy lift of their lips. Certain aspects of their darkness were still there but now their eyes looked more alive.

When Hotaru first saw them, one fair, one dark, two sides of the same coin, their eyes were bleak and flat because they feed off each others pain.

She heard the rumors about Natsume and it wasn't exactly hard to figure out what he did, what the academy made him do. She had always known that the academy was not just about daisies and roses, she understood why Natsume acted the way he did back then.

He wanted someone to stop him, wanted someone to care enough to ask 'why?'. He did his job in order to survive, but somewhere along the way, he lost the desire to live and lived merely to survive. No one, in Hotaru's mind should ever live like that. But still, it wasn't her problem, he was nothing to her as she was nothing to him. She couldn't think of how she could help anyway. She wasn't kind enough, selfless enough, forgiving enough, warm enough. But it didn't stop her from wishing, whenever his pain was so big and his desperation so thick that she can actually sense it, that someone like that will come for him, even just for a little while, like someone had came for her and showed her that there is indeed sunshine after the rain.

Back then, to Hotaru, the only good quality that she can see was his devotion to Ruka and Ruka's to Natsume. Ruka was nothing like his friend, he was quiet, shy, soft and…lonely. There's nothing wrong with being like that of course. From his friendship with Natsume, Hotaru knows that he is loyal, and self sacrificing and empathetic. When Natsume is hurting, he hurts, when Natsume is unhappy, he is unhappy, too.

In so many ways, Hotaru figures that he is to Natsume, what Mikan is to her.

Ruka lives in his own little world where its only occupants are himself, animals and Natsume. It was all he needed to live. He was the only softness in Natsume's cold and harsh world. Natsume does it because he realized that he can endure the hardships more than anybody else. He knows that in order for the majority to be happy, there will be the few that will have to suffer in their place. It was, she always thought, the price of happiness. After all, history is filled with countries, organizations, religion, principles, built on flesh, blood and broken dreams.

Natsume knows all this and accepts it.

Ruka has the potential to be as strong as Natsume but his mind was not up to it. He was much too dependent, much too caring, his mind too straight, his heart too soft. Which is why instead of fighting side by side with Natsume he can only watch in silence as Natsume slowly drowned himself in the dark with him following quietly like his shadow.

_If Natsume doesn't smile, than I won't smile. If Natsume is not happy, than I won't be happy._

Ruka was too gentle to fight for Natsume, to fight against him, to rub him raw when he needed a good smack in the head. He didn't want to bother Natsume, he didn't want to upset him, didn't want to poke into old wounds.

He didn't know that he was slowly killing Natsume with good intentions.

Then Mikan came along; loud, obnoxious, annoying and unbelievably irritating. She was not afraid, she did not give up, she pushed, she scraped, she dug in her heels, she demanded, she laughed at, she teased and he ignored all his attempts to push her away. She'd drag him kicking and screaming from the darkness and into the light. She conjured the feelings that was once forgotten, thawed his frozen heart, and gave him the unconditional friendship and love that he thought he didn't deserve.

In the end, she managed what every one thought was impossible.

She gave warmth to fire and now that fire is burning brightly in gratitude. Natsume's feelings for the girl is so obvious in the way he gravitate towards her and sometimes she feels a familiar ache inside her every time she sees the desperate need the boy has for her best friend, because she felt it, too. The days she spent without Mikan in the school, she felt like she was sleep walking, living in a dream. She kept having the vaguest sensation that she will wake up and finds herself with Mikan and her grand father again. Or so she hoped.

Hotaru remembered the day where she met with Mikan again, when she smiled at her, she felt the warmth of her smile right down to her toes and she could breathe again.

Hotaru blinked when she realized two sets of eyes were staring at her. "What?"

Ruka goggled at her. "You were smiling. Softly, like you were happy." He squinted at her. "Are you sick?"

Violet eyes that just a second ago were warm, now turned cool and emotionless. "I _was_ happy." She grabbed her plate from his hands and walked towards the kitchen door, but before she walked out she glanced over her shoulder, a glint in her eyes. "I was imagining about how much rabbits I'll get by selling pictures of you cooking together."

At the yells of the two boys behind her, Hotaru sighed in satisfaction. _But of course they still have a long way to convince me to let them take Mikan away._


	7. Stand Beside You

**EXODUS**

**Chapter Seven: Stand Beside You**

**A/N: Again, I thank you stardrop!**

Ruka's blue eyes watched his best friend as they got out of their dorm. Natsume still looked like his usual broody expressionless self; the difference was he looked tired. "Are you sure you're fine?"

Natsume stifled a yawn. "I'm fine. Stop fussing."

"Where did you go this morning anyway? When we woke up, you were gone."

Violet eyes shifted towards the red-eyed boy, who pressed a hand on his nape, as she walked a few steps behind them.

"Training." Natsume raised a hand to push his bangs back before shoving it back to his pocket, his red eyes searching the crowd. "How is she?"

"The doctor said she'll be fine, though she'll be feeling a little bit stiff."

"Getting squeezed by a giant tree can do that to you." Red eyes shifted to Hotaru, who suddenly stopped. "What is it?"

Hotaru blinked towards a group of people, who were creating a scene at the quad not far from them. They could hear the angry shouts of an argument, one of them which sounded familiar. "Three guesses on who's in the middle of that."

"I only need one." Frowning, Natsume was already walking into the fray. As soon as people saw them, they stepped back and made way. When they reached the front, Ruka widened his blue, blue eyes when he saw Mikan screaming at an upperclassman thrice her size. Natsume glowered when he recognized the upperclassman. Doumoto was a stupid brute who liked to bring trouble whenever he could and particularly hated his guts. Hotaru glanced at Doumoto's friends, who egging him on. She watched as he glared at Mikan; his face red and twisted with anger. She didn't like the way his big hands were fisted at his side.

The three of them turned to their right when Yuu and Anna came to them. Yuu's and Anna's faces were anxious and worried, but when they opened their mouths, Natsume raised a hand, stopping their words. Instead he watched the arguing pair. Both of them were spitting at each other like angry cats. It had been a while since the last time he saw Mikan blowing up like this. She was standing with her back towards him. He couldn't see her face, but he didn't need to see it to know that she was supremely pissed; her hands were clenched, her petite figure shaking with fury, even her pigtails snapped with every sharp jerk of her head.

"You take that back, you big, stupid, bully."

Doumoto snarled at her, his anger making his bulky figure appear bigger somehow. He was already embarrassed and provoked by the disgusted gasps and looks he got from the watching crowd. The sight of the slim and slender girl with pigtails, no less, standing up to him was too much of an insult for him to bear, especially after he knew her identity. He sneered at Mikan, and his mean dark eyes narrowed on her. "Or _what_?"

Mikan took one step towards him, her voice lowered to a whisper. "Or I'll_make_ you."

"Oooooohhh, Doumoto. She'll make you. Are you going to let her talk you to you like that?" One of his friends sneered at Doumoto, the whole lot of them laughing, angering Doumoto even more.

"Listen to me, bitch. I can say whatever I want to, whenever I want to. Besides, who's to say that it's not true? Everybody here knows what he really is."

Both Ruka and Natsume snapped to attention at his words. Ruka's blue eyes cooled as he let out an angry hiss that joined with Mikan's. It didn't take long for those words to sink in before Mikan launched herself at Doumoto, ready to claw at him in anger.

But before she could touch him, two strong hands caught her and pulled her back towards his chest. She didn't need to look to know whose arms they were. She knew those firm and gentle hands. "Let me go, Natsume-kun. Let me at him. Think of it as practice."

Not amused in the slightest, he slanted cool eyes to the twitching angry girl in his arms. He twisted her to his side and held her there, her back touching his side, his arm around her front, his other hand making its way into his pockets. His voice was easy and calm as he looked at the back of her head with a considering look, but demanding nonetheless. "What are you doing?"

Mikan was still glaring at the now quiet Doumoto, his own friends were standing behind him, tense and fearful when they realized Natsume's presence, but seeing as she was trapped by his hands, she could only cross her hands below the arm that held her. Her breathing was harsh and she was still quivering with righteous anger. "Picking a fight."

"Why?" He stared at the back of her head, her body stiff and tense in his arms.

"Just felt like it."

He glanced at Ruka's angry countenance. He knew that if they didn't get out of here quickly, he'd have his hands full with the two of them. To ease Ruka, he pushed Mikan to him, knowing that his friend wouldn't do anything stupid as long as Mikan was with him. But as he watched, Ruka held her hand and both of them glared at the band of misfits together. Natsume blinked and thought that perhaps that maybe wasn't such a good idea after all. Instead of easing back, they'd probably just gang up on the stupid prick and although that would probably be interesting to see, he decided against it.

Natsume sighed inwardly. It was good to have friends and all, but sometimes he couldn't help missing the simple and quiet days of his loner years.

"What's the matter, Hyuuga? Can't fight your own battles? You need your girlfriend to protect you?"

He turned his head to Doumoto, the annoyance in his eyes exchanged by a dark intense glare. The color of his eyes darkened even more, the look in them hard and hypnotizing. Compared to the big stout Doumoto, he was tiny, but they quailed before the look in his eyes, feeling the press of his deadly ki against their skin, their survival instincts automatically acknowledging him as a threat. Besides, it had only been two days since Natsume burned down the ancient tree at the edges of the Southern Forest and the vision of Natsume covered by his blue fire was still clear in everyone's minds.

Natsume considered what he should do, but something blurred at his right and hit Doumoto smack bang so hard on his face that he was pushed back a couple of steps. When the thing bounced back, Natsume caught it deftly with one hand and looked at it.

It was a shoe. A somewhat familiar shoe.

A swift glance behind him showed that it was indeed Mikan's shoe. Hm.

"I'm his partner, you shithead."

Yuu's shocked chiding tone made him want to laugh, but he disguised it as a cough when Hotaru sneaked a blaming look at him, but he exchanged an amused look with Ruka while he tossed the shoe back to Hotaru, who immediately smacked Mikan's head with it.

"Itaiii, Hotaru, what did you do that for?"

"Be quiet. You're already in enough trouble as it is. What if Jinno sees you?"

Mikan pouted. "He started it."

Doumoto finally recovered from the blow to his nose and stepped towards Mikan threateningly, but stopped at the lazy tone of Natsume's voice.

"Maybe she wouldn't have needed to stand up for me if only you hadn't talked behind my back." Chuckles from the crowd and the cool look from Natsume made Doumoto's face flush with shame and anger. "But then again, since I don't make a habit of listening to bullshit, I'd probably ignore you anyway." He shrugged, and then turned to his friends. "Iku yo."

Natsume ignored the shouts and insults that came from behind him. He had better things to do, like sleep, eat, or read his newest manga, than fight that stupid redneck, but then Mikan turned. Natsume's eyes shifted to look at her face for the first time today and saw something that instantly stopped all movement. He didn't even register that Ruka bumped hard against his back.

"What's that?" He asked sharply to Mikan. She blinked guiltily, a hand moving to her right cheek, covering it with her long bangs.

"What do you mean?"

Crimson eyes narrowed, firm fingers held her chin and turned her head to the side while he used his other hand to sweep her bangs aside. What he saw on her face made his blood boil and made his hands itch to crush someone's throat. Doumoto's preferably. There, on Mikan's right cheek, were the beginnings of a bruise. When his eyes searched her face, he also saw a small gash on her bottom lip and he'd been in more than enough fights to know what could cause that.

Mikan watched as Natsume's face tightened and in an attempt to pacify him, she touched her hand to the trembling fingers that held her chin. In front of her eyes, rage filled long slanted red eyes. "Natsume-kun. It's fine, really."

Yuu and Anna exchanged uneasy glances, while Ruka and Hotaru looked confused. Ruka stepped closer to Natsume, sensing something was wrong. "Natsume, what...?"

"You hit her?"

Shocked violet and blue eyes snapped towards Mikan at the low dangerous whisper. Mikan tried to hold onto Natsume's hand, willing him not to be angry, but she was pulled forward as Natsume rounded towards Doumoto; his beautiful face tense, his eyes murderous. "You _hit_ her? You _dared_?"

The watching crowd backed away slowly. So did Doumoto's friends, but Doumoto was either brave, stupid, or he was so scared he couldn't move his feet.

Yuu bet on the latter.

"Crap." Ruka was also furious, but he knew that Natsume would be in a lot of trouble if he beat the crap out of Doumoto, even if he didn't use his Alice. The academy took the matter of martial arts masters kicking student ass very seriously, and in the whole academy, Natsume was as close to a master as anyone could get.

"Somebody better do something, or Doumoto is dead meat. Literally." Koko rushed to their side. "I tell you, he is not playing around."

Hotaru held Mikan back and whispered, "Act like you're in pain."

Mikan frowned at her. "What?

Ruka and the others nodded. "Good idea, Imai. Quick, Mikan. Say something, scream, whatever."

"No, he'll only dump me at the hospital again."

"Would you rather have Natsume in Persona's clutches for hurting someone as worthless as him?"

"Of course not."

"Oh, for God's sake." Anna impatiently reached for Mikan's arm and pinched her. The red haze in Natsume's eyes wavered when he heard Mikan's exclamation of pain and when he turned, he saw Mikan holding her right arm and everybody else was crowding her. His steps were fast and sharp. "What's wrong?"

Hotaru's violet eyes blinked at him. One of her feet was pressing hard on Mikan's. "I think her injuries from two days ago are catching up with her. You better take her away and check her out."

"I'm fine…" Mikan hissed when Anna's elbow dug to her still bruised ribs and they all parted when Natsume reached and ran his fingers along her arm, checking for broken bones. "Natsume-kun, really, I'm…" She paused when she saw their friends widen their eyes at her and she stifled her protest. "…just a little sore and bruised…and tired...and hungry…"

The crowds of people blinked when Natsume bent and lifted Mikan in his arms, his lips pressed together tightly, and his jaw hard. "Didn't I tell you to wait for me before getting her out of the hospital? Now look what she's gotten herself into."

"Hey, I…" She snapped her mouth closed when Natsume glared at her before shifting his eyes back towards their friends. Hotaru glanced at the people who hid behind her.

"Don't blame me. Blame these bleeding hearts."

Koko shifted his eyes away from Natsume. "Ah, Narumi-sensei is calling for me. Gotta go." 

Anna clutched at Koko's back and ran with him. "I forgot. I left a cake in the oven. Get well, Mikan. I'll send you cookies."

Yuu feigned an irritated look. "Meeting. Being a class president is such a bother. Bye, guys. I'll see you later, Mikan-chan."

"I was…I didn't…" Ruka looked at his shoes. "…she begged."

Hotaru rolled her eyes at Ruka. "You better go. Take care of her."

Natsume glared at Mikan and the bruise on her face, feeling sick to his stomach at the very sight of it. He hitched her higher, her hands encircled his neck, and then he turned away. But before he walked away, he slanted vengeful eyes to Hotaru. "Say, Imai. You've just upgraded your baka gun, right?"

A small smile appeared on her face, and a big one on Ruka's. "As a matter of fact, I have, Hyuuga."

Not understanding what the hell they were all smiling about, Mikan's amber eyes blinked from over his shoulder. "I'll leave it to you then."

Ruka cracked his knuckles. "Say, Imai, you brought a spare, right?"

"Actually, I did."

Ruka smiled sweetly. "100 rabbits say I can shoot more than you."

Hotaru tossed him her spare baka gun, pleased with the promise of a challenge and the chance to strip Ruka of 100 rabbits. "You're on, Nogi."

---------

Natsume was pissed.

He was pissed at Doumoto, who hit her, he was pissed at Mikan for getting herself hit, and he was also pissed at himself because he was the reason for it.

He stood with his back to her, his fingers cutting off the circulation of his own arms. He was unable to face her because seeing that bruise and the cut on her lips made him want to kill someone, and it didn't help that he knew several methods of keeping the victim alive as he carefully brought them closer to death. He tried to calm himself down, but the rage was just too huge. He wanted to kill Doumoto for laying a hand on her, he wanted to wrap his hands around his throat and squeeze, and he hated it. He hated feeling this way, hated to feel that he was capable of it and he was also afraid. He was deathly afraid that one day she'd see, that she'd finally see how wrong she was about him. And then she would leave him, banishing him to the endless dark once more.

He sucked in a ragged breath and raked shaking fingers along his hair. "What were you _thinking_?"

Mikan lifted her eyes to his back and lowered the ice pack that he pushed at her just a couple of minutes ago, all the while showering curses on her head. She was used to him cursing at her, and she was also used to him getting angry at her and for her. But she knew that this time, she was in deep, deep trouble. Being friends with Hotaru and Natsume made her develop almost an sixth sense for trouble, and judging by the fact that he wasn't even looking at her, she was knee-deep and sinking. "Honestly? I wasn't really thinking."

The blunt honesty that he'd come to expect from her could still surprise him. He shifted his feet, but still didn't turn to her. "Do you think admitting that will earn you a cookie?"

Actually she did, but since it was obvious that it wouldn't, she shrugged. "I thought I'd just save you the time." When he only vibrated with anger, Mikan looked at her feet.

"What was the first thing that I told you when I started to teach you how to fight?"

"To keep it a secret."

"The other first thing."

"Don't pick a fight you can't win."

"And?"

"And…?"

"Did you really think that you can win against him?"

She glowered at her shoes; she hated it when he was being all condescending on her. "I might."

"Oh? How exactly? Tell me how you were going to beat a sixteen-year-old boy, who can stomp you to dust and knock you unconscious with a flick of his wrist?"

"I wasn't going to use any of the styles that you've taught me..."

"You better not. Do you even know what his Alice is?"

She winced. "No."

Natsume rubbed his face wearily. "Do you even pay attention to anything I say in practice? Because I clearly remember saying that you should never ever fight someone without knowing what they can do."

"You do it."

Sharp red eyes glared at her. "Not if I can help it and our situations are very different. My purpose is to attack while yours is to defend only yourself. Don't think that our conditions are similar because they aren't."

"My Alice..."

"All right, your Alice took care of his, and when he realized that his Alice didn't work, he hit you, didn't he?"

"I was surprised. I could've dodged it."

"But you didn't."

"It was only once."

"Because I came in right on time."

"Why are you so mad?"

"I taught you so you could defend yourself, not to pick fights."

"I know that."

"Then why did you?"

"I just…it's nothing."

"It is not nothing." He jerked her chin up, but after his eyes landed on the bruise, his eyes shifted to an imaginary dot on her forehead. "_This_ is not nothing. What if you fell and hit your head? What if he hit you with his fist instead of his open hand? What if he backhanded you and snapped your scrawny neck?"

"My neck is not scrawny. And how do you know he hit me with an open hand? Besides, it's only a bruise. I usually get more from Hotaru's baka guns." She sniffed angrily and started to stand.

"_Sit_ down." Shocked with the low and harsh tone of his voice, Mikan immediately followed the command, then mentally smacked herself because she did.

His hands on his hips, Natsume tilted his head to the sky, taking deep breaths, trying to control his anger, but it filled him. Taunted him. "What did he say?"

"What?"

"He said something about me. What was it?"

Her usually candid eyes slipped slowly to her right. "He didn't say anything about you."

"You want me to guess? Was it murderer? Assassin? Monster? Killer? Do I need to go on?"

Mikan's hands clenched in her lap. Noticing that and even as dread settled in his stomach, he looked towards the side and confessed. "Whatever he called me, it's true."

Her head snapped towards him, her guilty eyes angry once more. "No, it's not."

"Yes,_it is_." He turned towards her, willing her to understand, needing her to understand. He'd be damned before he'd let her get hurt because of him or let someone use him to hurt her. "You don't know who I am. What I do. Not really. What you see is the little boy who comes home with blood all over his body, wounded and defeated. That's not who I am now. I chose to do this, this is my choice, and this is my life. This is who I am."

"I_know_." Mikan cut him off, her voice insistent. "I know all of that. Like I know that you suffer because of it, have nightmares over it." Raw angry crimson met understanding sad amber. "Ojii-san always said a character of a person is not only judged by his actions or his words, but also by their reasons behind it."

"I know why you do the things you do. I know who you are and contrary to what you think, I _see_who you are. This place might not be paradise, but it is our home, and you are doing your best to protect it, to protect us." Mikan clenched her hands on the ice pack. "That's why I'm so angry. To have them look at you the way they do, talk the way they do when you endanger your life again and again for the sake of the academy, for their safety, but look at how they treat you." Mikan bit her bottom lip, tears starting to heat her eyes.

Natsume eyed her quietly, touched, but worried and angrily frustrated all the same. "Then you should know that it doesn't matter to me what other people say."

"Yes, it does." Her amber eyes stared at him, daring him to deny it.

He wanted to look at her, but his hands were still shaking inside his pockets, and he was still feeling so angry. He couldn't touch her, didn't want her close while so much ugliness curled inside of him. And the darkening bruise on her face was a sight that he couldn't bring himself to see because in his mind, it served as further proof that she didn't belong anywhere near him, that he had no business being with her.

Natsume glanced at her, caught the misery and angry tears in her eyes, and ached. _She's better off without me. She always cries when she's with me_. Not knowing any other way to deal with the pain and self disappointment because once again he had managed to upset her, and against the feeling of helplessness because he didn't know how to say pretty words to comfort her, his voice was cool, his eyes were icy when he finally looked at her. "People will always say things. Do you plan on beating all of them?"

"I didn't do anything wrong." The stubborn look on her face only provoked his anger.

"In my missions I kill, I destroy lives, homes. I steal, I deceive." His anger gave him the strength to finally stand in front of her and look her dead in the eyes. "That makes me a killer, a destroyer, a thief and a liar. " He raised a hand and immediately covered it with fire. He waved his hand in front of her face, letting her feel the heat, letting her see it dance in front of her eyes. "While this makes me a monster."

He stared at her confused expression and bit back a curse. _S__he doesn't understand_.

_What was I thinking? How can I ever think that I can be worthy enough, that I can be good enough to deserve her?_

Years before, on that day when he finally gave into her, gave into the clamoring need of his heart that ached for her after arduous, painful months where he tried so hard to keep her away, he promised himself, promised Kami and whoever was out there watching, that if they only gave him a chance, if they allowed him to have her in his life, allowed him to accept her care and her smiles, allowed him to be with her, he'd devote every second of his pathetic life to take care of her and to prove that he was worth it, that he'd earn every touch, every smile she sent his way and by God, he'd do his damnedest to make her happy even if it killed him.

Feeling impossibly moved by her tears, by her loyalty, and the fact that she cared for him, it terrified him: how fearless she was, how she felt absolutely sure that he was worth fighting for and hurting for.

His eyes slid to the bruise that marred her fair skin and his stomach turned over. One of his greatest fears was that one day, Mikan would get involved in one of his problems, with one of his enemies and that time, she wouldn't be able to get out of it so easily.

Even the thought of it was unbearable to him, so he shut his eyes tight against the image of her broken and lifeless, and he turned his back on her.

"Natsume-kun. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. But, but I still don't think I did anything wrong."

He didn't answer, but the silence between them was less quiet than one would have expected. When he finally talked, his voice was flat and devoid of any emotion. "Are you alright? Can you walk?"

She blinked. "Uh, yes."

Without a word he walked away, but stopped when he felt her fingers pulling on his sleeve. Natsume jerked his hand away from her angrily. "Don't follow me. I want to be alone. "Mikan saw a muscle on his jaw tick. "I can't _look_ at you right now."

Natsume took hurried steps without even glancing back at her. He knew he hurt her, but he couldn't help it. Because with her stubbornness and not realizing his need for her to be safe, to be happy, she was hurting him too.

--------

THUNK!

Natsume flipped the red handled tanto in his hand, his finger searching for its balance, weighing it in his palm. With a flick of his wrist, maintaining the follow-through of his lower arm, the tanto hit the tree bark with a dull sound. Dead center.

He sensed her far longer before he heard her and he knew that she also knew that. He was not surprised when she stopped a couple of meters behind him without announcing her presence and just stood there, watching. He could feel her cool gaze on his back, on his hands, observing his motions, his skill with the tanto.

Both of them valued silence and appreciated the advantages that came from a good observation.

THUNK!

Another tanto sunk into the poor tree that was already riddled with scars.

"I thought you're not allowed to hold weapons unless it's on missions."

Strong fingers gripped and pulled the six tantos free and he walked back to where he stood to start all over again. "Officially." He shrugged and held one in his hand. "Besides, this was a gift from the ever thoughtful Persona for my twelfth birthday. Custom-made." He lifted one and held it in front of his face. The red handle gleamed as brightly as his eyes. "It even matches my eyes."

Hotaru eyed the boy in front of her; she knew that he was in a bad mood and she didn't even need to guess its cause. It was obvious from the look on Mikan's face when they saw her sitting alone in the cafeteria with a stubborn, yet defeated, look on her face while Natsume was nowhere near her.

"Did you come to yell at me?"

Hotaru squinted her violet eyes as the tanto sailed straight in the air and stabbed the bark. If it was a human, it would've lost an eye. "Do you want me to? But it'll cost you." The scoff was almost a laugh as Natsume sent another to join its brother on the tree. "Does that really help?"

THUNK!

Natsume flipped another and looked at his reflection on the sharp, sharp blade. "Sometimes."

Hotaru held out her hand for one. His paranoia made his eyes shift to the girl's face, measuring her and caught the amused look on her face. Feeling pretty silly himself, he handed her one and watched as she ran her elegant fingers on it, touching it as if she was reading Braille. "I read once that to have power, to have true power is like holding a naked blade in your hand. You can hurt, but you can also get hurt. If you are afraid to get hurt, then you will never gain your true potential. On the other hand, if you are too reckless, you will only lose yourself before you reach it."

Natsume blinked when with a quick twist of her arm, Hotaru threw the tanto in the air and sunk it into the tree, aligning with the others. Violet eyes met his, strangely unnerving, irritatingly wise. "The true path to power is through respect and acceptance. Respect the power, respect its ability to hurt and to heal, to protect and to destroy, and accept that there are things that even true power cannot change, like fate, love, and the minds of men."

Natsume took out a cloth out of his pocket and wiped the surface of the tanto in his hand. Respect and acceptance, he mused. He knew what or who she was referring to. "Minds of men, huh? Ever heard of absolute power corrupts?"

Hotaru lifted another tanto and eyed its point in such a way that made him nervous. "I believe that if a good man is given power, he will still be good."

"I thought you were a realist, Imai. Is baka's optimistic self rubbing off on you?"

Hotaru gave him a glance that said, 'Don't be stupid'. "I have a specimen."

"Do tell."

"Tobita Yuu."

Natsume blinked. It was true enough he supposed, his duties as class president and his role as the uncontested honor student gave Yuu power, enough power to bail both him and Mikan out of sticky situations when the occasions called for it, but it just wouldn't do to admit that she was right, although by the look on her face, she already knew that he knew that she was right.

Natsume sneered just for principle. "He's not good. He's just meek." Which was, he justified the insult, also true in a way.

Hotaru didn't comment, but gave his tanto back. Before she walked away completely, she looked at him from the corner of her eyes. "Respect and acceptance, Hyuuga."

He realized what she meant and he even understood it. But of course, no matter how many people speculated about it, she was still a girl and being a girl she didn't understand a man's need to keep his solemn oath. A man's need to protect the things he cared about most. It was not only because of principle or self dignity or ego. It was more basic than that. It was there inside any man, the huge capacity to offer violence to anything that threatened what he thought of as his. The kind of aggression that even million of years of evolution had not been able to obliterate completely.

But how the hell could he protect her when she persisted on jumping head-first into every dangerous situation? The least she could do was to wait for him to back her up, but nooo, she just had to play hero. She just stepped right on up without sparing a thought about the consequences, and even with a bruise the size of a man's hand on her cheek, she still didn't admit that she was wrong. How many times would they have to fight about this? Didn't she know that every time she did this, he experienced small heart attacks? He should shake her, tie her up, and lock her in his room indefinitely. Failing that, he should tackle and kiss her stupid until she followed every damn thing that he told her. He mulled on that idea for a bit; it was interesting enough to fantasize about, not to mention it'd ease his anger, even for a little bit.

The image of the bruise blossoming on her cheek put a damper on it though, and when he heard the incessant ringing of the school bell, he squelched the urge to scream, but finally channeled his anger towards burning a tree.

_If a good man is given power, he will still be a good man._

Natsume eyed the charred tree and wondered which category he was in.


	8. Shades of Gray

**EXODUS**

Chapter Eight : Shades of Grey

Disc: Not Mine

------

The occupants of class B eyed each other nervously. While arguments between Natsume and Mikan is usual to the point of tradition, tension between the two of them is not.

But it was there between them, unmistakably clear to their classmates. They watched Mikan who was stubbornly staring forward in her seat across the aisle from Natsume. Her face defiant but her body posture betrayed her. Her back was bowed and her shoulders hunched forward, her hands clenched, but it was the guilty slide of her eyes that betrayed her most of all, especially when Natsume, in a rare show of weariness pressed his finger against his eyelid before tilting his head up and drifted off to sleep.

The only one oblivious to it all was the substitute teacher who is happy enough that the 'delinquents' were quiet. They watched on as Mikan turned towards Natsume, not noticing the watchful stares she was receiving. On cue, Ruka opened his mouth and raised his voice. "Imai, I demand a do over."

Hotaru lifted a brow but humored the boy for the sake of her friend. "You lost, Nogi. Deal with it."

Ruka leaned forward as Hotaru leaned back and they continued to banter from over their friend's head. "I didn't. The baka gun you gave me was defective."

Hotaru gave Ruka a bland look that was as bland as her tone. "That's male logic to you. You lost, so it must be the equipment."

Taking the hint, their friends shifted their eyes from the royal pair and minded their own business in hopes that without them watching, both of them will be able to swallow their pride and settle things like they always do. Mikan returned her eyes to the gleaming surface of her table while Natsume continued to sleep though the line between his brows said otherwise.

_He looks tired_, Mikan sneaked a glance then mentally kicked herself, _of course he's tired_. _He just came back from a three day mission and had to save my butt again. But how do I repay him?_ She pouted. _But I didn't do anything wrong._ _Okay, maybe I could've handled it more discreetly. But, ooooh, the jerk just made me so mad._

The image of Natsume's angry and yes, worried face flickered in her mind and she sighed, she admitted that he's right, again.

It was only dumb luck that Jinno or any of the teachers didn't see her and if Persona found out, she knew that he would've somehow twisted the facts that it would look like it was Natsume's fault. Mikan suppressed a shudder. But then again, she had the right to be angry if someone bad mouthed her friends and Natsume was such an easy target, not too mention a frequent one.

_They are just jealous…and afraid_, Mikan conceded. _If they only know him like I do they'll never think of those things, even if some of what they said are true._

Mikan didn't have any misconceptions or stars in her eyes when it comes to Natsume. She knows just how deep and dark Natsume 'missions' are, one only need to see him to know. If they see the wavering of his laugh or smile or the far away look in his eyes, they'll know just how much his missions affect him. If they see the flicker of guilt in his eyes every time he felt even a moment of happiness as though he thought as if he didn't deserve it because of all of the bad things he'd done. If they only see the naked terror in his eyes after he screamed himself out of a nightmare.

Whenever she smelled the sweat that mingled with the musky odor of sweat and fire on him in class, that's when she knew that it was a particularly bad one that he didn't want to return to the solitude of his room and underlining his calm demeanor and the scent of smoke, would be the coppery scent of blood.

It spoke one thing to her: assassination.

She figured it would be one thing to take down a building. But it'd be something else to stare at the person's eyes and watch the light fade away from it.

Sometimes her anger battled with her sadness. And her frustrations warred with her guilt. She wanted to yell at him for being so noble, wanted to wrap her arms around him to ease his sufferings. And she wanted to smack him over the head for being so blasé about self sacrificing.

But she couldn't do all that because she knew he found meaning in doing those things. But she selfishly wants him to be selfish once in a while, at the very least in one small part of his life will do. But selfish was just not part of the boy's vocabulary, just as 'sit pretty while the strong man protects you' is in hers.

She didn't do anything wrong, she is sure of that. She pressed her lips tight and tucked the bangs that had been hiding the bruise behind her ear, exposing it to the world. She doesn't care if everyone will gawk at it, it wasn't something to be ashamed and she'll show everybody that she wasn't. To her it was similar to a badge of honor, just like the scars on Natsume body.

It was a sign that she was brave enough to do something to protect her friend. He sneaked another glance towards Natsume whose frown was getting deeper.

If only she can get him to understand that. She was only following his example after all. Her heart flopped down to her stomach as she realized that that probably will not give him any comfort. She blinked when Natsume rubbed his eyes again and realized that his eyes were probably as tired as the rest of him. A stab of guilt entered her heart again, remembering her part in keeping him awake. She remembered the delicate white handkerchief she had in her bag and the cooling gel she bought from Konoko to battle the summer heat. She fished those things out and got herself to work.

Natsume was suspended between sleep and wakefulness, it annoyed him to no end. Not to mention, his eyes felt hot and itchy. It added to his bad mood.

Mikan's puppy eyes and stubborn chin didn't help at all, his frown only deepen as every time a soft comforting breeze blew his way, his traitorous nose reveled in the lavender softness of her scent. The frown lost to a scowl when the gentle aroma thickened around him. He was so focused on that he realized only too late that someone was behind him, but his instincts relax when he sensed who it was while his body tensed with the knowledge.

But he couldn't hold back the sigh when he felt something cool and soft was placed on his eyes, easing the uncomfortable sensation on them. Equally gentle hands pressed the cloth so it followed the curve and dips of his eye lids and the bridge of his nose, prolonging contact.

She didn't say anything as she felt her fingers combed his bangs back from his face, brushing over his cheekbones and forehead and along the strands of his lengthening hair, taking away his discomfort. He felt his tense muscles relaxed inch by inch under her hands and he wanted time to stop. But when her fingers touched his left ear, the throbbing sensation there snapped him awake, he relaxed when with a mumbled apology, she took her hands away, mistakenly taking his sharp reaction was because he didn't want her to touch him. Natsume toyed with the idea of letting her stay on thinking that but he realized he couldn't when he heard the tremble in her voice.

He caught her hand and pulled at it gently. He didn't let go until he felt her plopped on the empty seat. He can sense her confusion but she stayed anyway, even though they still had things to talk about, and problems to sort out, it almost felt all right again.

Natsume almost smirked when he felt the class released a collective giant breath of relief. He didn't kid himself, they were still going to fight about this but as he basked in her presence, his body finally surrendering its battle against weariness, he couldn't help but feel the squeezing sensation in chest lessen.

----------

Natsume eyed the insanity, hilarity and down right stupidity as his classmates splashed and horsed around in the huge indoor swimming pool. He watched as Koko dunked Kitsuneme and Monchu that retaliated with dragging him with them into the water. He frowned when Koko flail around but eased back from his leaning position when the mind reader surfaced with a grin.

Most of the time, because of the life they lived, he forgot that they were indeed thirteen years old. Maybe because at such a young age they've already learned and lived by rules and teachings that normal people don't usually get until they are much, much older. Like living apart from your parents, learning to amplify your powers, trying to find new uses for it every day, doing your best because that's the only thing that can assure your safety and comfort. Taking control of your life and depending only on yourself. The students of Alice Academy learn at a young age exactly how the world works.

Quid pro quo.

Nothing is free.

Scratch my back and I scratch yours.

There is a price for everything.

The value of sacrifice.

These are words you usually hear and understand when you get out from your little bubble and step into the real world but in the academy, they learn to ether live by it or get rule by it as soon as they step their feet through the gates that clanged shut behind them.

But they do it anyway, they trudge along, they move on.

For some, it is a matter of pride, some it is a matter of stability, some times it is a matter of monetary concerns while for others, it is a matter of simply not having anywhere else to go or not knowing anything else to do.

In short, because they are trapped, but as Natsume had learn, you can carve a small haven even when you're in hell. Something else that you usually learn when you're already an adult, not a child of ten.

Home is where the heart is and what not.

The human mind's perspective is a wonderful thing while the human heart is another thing altogether. Who would've though that a stray cat like him can find comfort in his trap, though that didn't mean he was domesticated.

_The academy may not be exactly paradise.., _It surprised him to hear those words from Mikan's mouth but although he always call her baka, it doesn't really mean that she actually is stupid. The girl has always been surprisingly perceptive and aware. When he heard those words, he found himself wanting to ask, "You're not happy here?"

The though that she isn't and only pretended to be, the possibility that he was so caught up with how she makes him feel that he didn't see her unhappiness…but then, he realized that she probably wasn't referring to her life but to his, to Hotaru's, to Ruka's and all the students that was trapped into the academy. Then again, Natsume knew that things can be so much worse.

He spread his eyes and observed the laughing faces of his friends, he knew several countries, private or government organizations that will do anything in their power to get their own personal Alice User and all of his classmate's powers are strong and exotic enough to be targeted. There they will treated like weapons and tools, not as human beings, not as children. At least here, they all have each other and he'll do anything to keep them together.

Ruka nudged Mikan when he observed that the girl was staring at Natsume, vaguely understanding why she was staring. He leaned and whispered to her, "It's his scars."

Mikan frowned, "Is that why he's wearing a T shirt?"

Ruka nodded. "He's probably going to swim when it gets dark."

She tore her eyes from the boy and looked at Ruka's gentle eyes. "He's still mad at me."

Ruka sighed. "You can't really blame him, Sakura. Even I'm mad at you."

Her morose face looked crestfallen. "You're mad at me, too?"

Ruka hardened his heart against the niggling sensation in his chest. "He's right. You shouldn't have picked a fight with Doumoto and...it's not that you did something wrong.." He scratched his head and when his blue eyes shifted to the bruise on her cheek, something like pain washed over his face. He lifted a hand and turned it, palm up. "You got hurt."

The bitterness that Mikan felt disappeared at the miserable look on Mikan's face and the quiet tone of his voice. You got hurt, he said as though that explained everything.

Her shoulders hunched with guilt and understanding. _For someone who is a born protector like Natsume-kun, he will not take it lightly that he was protected by someone he is protecting._ _He just doesn't understand that I want to protect him too because he doesn't feel like he needs it._

Mikan nodded and Ruka smiled and patted her shoulder. "Come on. Let's drag Imai to the slides and drown her."

Mikan snorted.

--------

Natsume shifted his head to the side and took a deep breathe before he turned and glided in the water. He swims like he does everything else, with a quiet grace unnatural for his young age and strength barely repressed.

He didn't part the water, the water parted for him. When he reached the shallow part of the pool, he stopped and stood, slicked back his mass of wet hair and calmed his breathing as he took in the glint of starlight through the fiber glass roof of the indoor swimming pool.

The place was dark and deserted, just the way he liked it. His friends were outside, eating their bento and enjoying each others company.

Footsteps interrupted his solitude but he kept his gaze up and didn't bother to look. He already knew.

"Natsume-kun. I bought you dinner."

Mikan eyed the boy who ate his food with mechanical movements as though his mind was not quite there.

It annoyed her.

It annoyed her even more that he still haven't talked to her even though she already apologized more times than she care to count.

It also worried her because Natsume wasn't the type to keep a grudge, at least not when it comes to his friends and the fact that she was worrying over it also annoyed the hell out of her.

When he put down his chopsticks and without so much as a glance, he slid down the edge of the pool and slipped back into the water, she scowled. " You're not allowed to swim after you just ate."

Her warning was ignored.

"Natsume-kun. Will you please stop? If you're mad than be mad, just stop..being so quiet."

He merely waded through the water like she haven't said a word. _Seriously, I open my mouth, words come out but_, Mikan huffed, _and he tells me I don't listen?_

"Fine, be like that. See if I care. " She turned away and dug her chopsticks into her rice with more force than was necessary, gobbling her food like she hadn't eaten in days.

"...granted."

Her head came up from her hunched position and she swallowed hard. "Huh?"

She turned saw him, standing with his back towards her drenched in shadows and moonlight that glinted on his wet skin like crushed stars, highlighting his lean silhouette and the rippling surface of the water.

Mikan though that the soothing moonlight suited him just as the swirls of sakura petals. So ridiculously beautiful.

"You take my presence for granted."

Mikan choked on air at the unfairness of the accusation. "I do not. I'm always glad you here, Natsume-kun. I thought you knew."

The sigh was as soft as it was regretful and Mikan put down her bento, her legs that was dipped into the water shifted slightly as she turned completely towards him.

"I do. I didn't mean to imply...I didn't mean it that way."

"Then what do you mean?"

He shifted his weight, just a little, enough that Mikan can see the curve of his cheek and the clean lines of his jaw. "You take it for granted that I will always be here."

Mikan tensed, she couldn't help it as her heart knotted in worry. "I noticed that you're missions are longer.."

"That's not what I mean."

Suddenly the shadows were too dark and the sound of water was too foreign to her ears. "I don't-"

"I won't always be here to watch your back and I'm not only talking about when I go to missions. You have to learn to think twice before you act and to look before you jump. The higher ups to watching us even closer then before, waiting for you and I to make the wrong move at the right time." He finally turned, his red eyes glowed with dark secrets and even darker thoughts. "And I won't always be here to protect you.  
She knew what he was trying to say and she didn't want to talk about it, not when there is so much distance between them and too much darkness to hide in.

Not to mention the thought of Natsume's absence from her life. He is such a big part of her life now that even the thought of it was painful to her. "I don't need your protection."

The calm and sure tone of his voice infuriated her. "Yes, you do." The sad smile on his lips made her want to cry. "Look at you, one need to only look at your face to find out what you're thinking. You shouldn't be here, thinking about conspiracies and evil plots, you should be at your village with your jii-chan."

"I'm where I want to be."

"Just because you don't know any better."

She glared at the mocking tone of his voice. "Stop treating me like a child who doesn't know anything."

"But you are. You're a little girl who is in way over her head. A little girl who believes that everything will be alright as long as she doesn't give up. The world doesn't work that way."

"I know that." It wasn't the quiet tone of her voice that stopped his condescending speech, it was the sadness in her eyes. "If it did. Hotaru and Subaru-senpai will still be with their parents. Yuu will be able to play with his sister just as our other friends will live a normal life with their families. If the world worked the way I wanted it to, my parents would've kept me, just as your family would still be with you and all of us will be happy." She smiled then. "Happy and oblivious of each other."

She lifted one of her feet, her damn skin felt cool in the air and she watched the water glided down her leg. "If the world worked the way it should, I would have never met Hotaru, Jii-chan, Konoko, Koko, Sumire, Anna, Ruka and you." Amber eyes lifted to crimson. "Is it selfish of me to be glad that it didn't?"

Mikan smiled tentatively when Natsume finally turned completely to face her. "Selfish no. Stupid, yes."

It could've come out as an insult if it was said in an annoyed or irritated tone, but the words came out as a whisper, it drifted in the air; a soft wonderment of pleasure and wistfulness.

"If what I have now is because I'm stupid than I'd rather be stupid than smart."

"You'd be singing a different tune when it's time for exams."

Mikan giggled and busied herself with their empty bento. "Probably but I'm glad I met all of you and I don't regret the things I've gone through or the things I've done."

She blinked when she felt a damp hand on her cheek, she didn't hear him move closer. She realized that he was tracing the edges of her darkening bruise. "Not even this?"

He still haven't look her in the eyes, Mikan turned towards him when he sighed the question. "Does it hurt?"

Mikan lifted her hand to his chest where a lot of scars marred his skin, inching dangerously close to his heart. "Does these?"

He opened his mouth to say 'no' but what came out was 'some times'. He felt her hand stopped just at the spot over his heart and his heart greeted her touch as he leaned into it, wanting to tangle himself around her and lose himself, just for a little while, imagining how it would feel to have what he shouldn't. What he couldn't. Just a little while to dream of what could be.

His body curved towards her, not touching, following her silhouette. "Mikan-"

"You should by now. I can't stay at the sidelines and watch you hurt."

"Not even if I ask you?"

"Not even if you beg."

"Really? Not even if I beg?"

Mikan scoffed. "You'd die before you beg. You're Hyuuga Natsume after all."

"I'll do it if you'll say yes."

Mikan tensed. "That's not funny, Natsume-kun."

"Since when have I like to joke around?"

She eyed him, confused. "You just want to mess with my head."

"Apparently you've underestimated me."

"In what way?"

"In what I'll do to keep my friends safe."

"Natsume-kun-"

"I need you." Dark lashes covered dark red ruby eyes that glinted brightly even in the darkness. "...to be safe. I need to concentrate and I can't if you keep jumping into fights the way you did this morning."

Mikan scowled at him. "That's a low blow."

"It's the truth. I can't keep having you distracting me with your inability to control your temper. You know how every one thinks of you as my responsibility. If you get into trouble it's me that go to." Which is what I told them to do, but she doesn't need to know that. "I can't concentrate with them yapping in my ear or with Imai threatening me with her baka gun or Ruka with his sighing and moping around for that matter."

Natsume turned away. "And you walking around with bruises doesn't help either." He turned back when her shoulders hunched, he knew that he won this time. "Al right?"

"Fine."

"Promise me."

She pressed her lips together and eyed him mutinously and he narrowed his eyes. "Mikan."

"I promise." Her mouth softened when he brushed the back of his fingers on her bruised cheek. She felt the heaviness of his heart when his eyes settled on her face. Before she knew it, her hand lifted by itself to return the gesture and was caught of guard by the pleasure she saw in his face, but like all the times when he was touched by happiness, a degree of guilt and a perpetual sadness followed not a second after, so she kept her hand there, brushing softly until his eyelids slid closed and he leaned into the touch. Searching for the one thing only she can give him. Peace.

Persona watched at the two silhouette that merged as one underneath starlight and the moonbeams, surrounded by the soothing sounds of water. His eyes gleamed underneath his mask, his mind turning a mile a minute, thinking of ways on how to make this scene turn into his advantage.


	9. Fallen Embers

EXODUS

Chapter Nine: Fallen Embers

A/n: Anyone free and willing to be my beta reader? I've been told to get one since my grammar sucks and sadly, I agree.

-------

It's not like he doesn't appreciate his friends and their willingness to be near him. He really did but, Natsume sighed as he observed the group of people in front of him, sometimes they are just too much for him to handle. Even people that he didn't know made a habit of accosting him if just to say hello.

He was getting soft that's why, and he knew the reason for that is currently beside him, giggling. He had to admit it's hard to maintain your hard ass reputation if you caved every time a pony tailed bouncing bundle of joy bats her eyelashes at you. Not that he didn't enjoy the process of stripping said people of their obvious change of perception and discouraged any attempts of them trying to befriend him.

In his mind, he already had way too any friends but still, he chuckled reluctantly at their current entertainment, it's nice having them around to distract him from gloomy thoughts about his life…or lack thereof.

The spotlight was on Yuu who was using his Illusion Alice to project a scene from the manga he was holding, stolen from Natsume's hand no less, in front of their eyes like a movie. Two Shinsengumi was glaring at each other from their perspective corners, touching the hilt of their swords in what appears to be the brink of a duel. Of course, blood and gore is not something to be laughed at, he grinned when the group burst into giggles and belly gut laughs, especially when Yuu's face crumpled into lines of frustration since Koko and Monchu kept dubbing over the two samurai's arguments, using Ruka's latest task of love letters to Narumi-sensei.

Natsume shifted his eyes towards Mikan who was quite all of sudden. "What is it?"

Interestingly, she gave him distracted smile. "It's nothing." She frowned. "Natsume-kun, do you know them?"

Quirking a brow, Natsume looked to where she was looking and instantly tensed, his instincts telling him that something was wrong. It wasn't as if the group of what looks like upperclassmen was doing anything wrong, they didn't even look particularly shifty either. To his eyes, they were just a couple of guys hanging out, having fun….while their sharp, beady eyes watched the students around them way too hard to be casual. But he played it cool for mikan's sake at least. "Why do you ask?"

Her brow wrinkled. "You remember that I told you that lately I can feel you when you're near?"

He nodded, "You sense my Alice like a signature of some sort inside your head."

"Yeah." Her eyes returned to him, the look in them confused and troubled. "They feel…weird."

"Hn." Watching the group from the corner of his eyes, he shrugged like the matter was of no importance. "Don't worry about it. It's probably because you're not used to the feel of their power."

Mikan considered it before agreeing with him but he saw she kept looking at them and it bothered him. Enough that he felt like he should check it out but decided to distract Mikan for a while.

He leaned back on the Sakura bark behind him, casually crossing his ankles. _Koko_, he called inside his mind. _No, don't look at me._

Koko stopped and then purposely look sideways to Kitsuneme who looked at him suspiciously before turning back to the show. The mind reader covertly waggled his eyebrows in silent question.

_You see the group of senpai's at your eleven? Check them out, will ya?_

Natsume watched Koko expression blanked out every second that ticked by and felt his stomach twist. When he slightly turned his head, he was surprised when he met cool violet eyes that was watching him. Not surprised at all that Hotaru caught on at the exchanges between him and Koko, he jerked his head towards Mikan.

Not a second after, Mikan ambled excitedly towards Hotaru and Natsume couldn't help but feel a little peeved at how easy Mikan left his side, seduced by the prospect of cookies, however when Koko dropped beside him Natsume turned just as casually, to better look at his friend…and the peculiar group.

"I can't do it."

Natsume red eyes sharpened. "What?"

"Some thing is blocking me. I can't read their minds."

Natsume opened his mouth to ask more questions when the fine hairs at the back of his neck lifted, instead he said. "Duck."

His friend's eyes shifted towards him in confusion but at the corner of his eyes he saw Mikan pulled the girls to the ground at the order. Following her example, he pulled Ruka and Koko down. "DUCK."

Shock rippled across the grounds at the strong, forceful wind that pushed at them. Their eyes rolled upwards when they saw several students tripped and rolled over them because of the swirling wind that resembled a small tornado. Natsume blinked the dust from his eyes and raised his head to check out the mess and sure enough, only the suspicious group was left standing on their own feet, chuckling at the general destruction and panic around them. The wind lightened around them and a glance showed him that it was Mikan's doing, he nodded to her as all of them moved to kneel in a tight circle, back to back.

"What the hell is going on?" Monchu covered his eyes with an arm.

"At first glance?" Sumire shoved the hair from her eyes. "Somebody's up to no good. Natsume?"

"You and Ruka should go get the teachers, both of you know who. Stay low." He watched them creep discreetly through the crowds, sure that Sumire's cat/dog senses and Ruka's animals can find them faster than anyone. He sneaked a glance towards the rest of his friends that looked at him in anticipation. "No use in telling you guys to roll over and play dead, huh?"

When he saw the smirk on their faces that eerily resembled Hotaru's, he shook his head. _They've been spending way too much time together._

He jerked his head to a six year Yoichi who sat in the middle of their circle, munching on a cookie, blinking wide teal eyes at him. "You think you can summon some to distract them for a while?"

The six year old nodded, a gleam of mischief glittered in his eyes. Yuu raised his hand as if he was in class despite the cutting force of the wind that push and pulled at their clothes and hair. It almost made Natsume smile. "I'll go with him, I can copy his demons, make them guess which is real and which isn't. You, know, confusion to your enemies."

Natsume nodded, an appreciative smile on his lips. "Monchu, help them out but first you and the rest should clear out the other students from the quad. Can you girls help out too?"

Anna and Konoko nodded. He felt bad in assigning tasks to his friends, asking them to jump into danger but, dammit, he had no choice.

"Don't be a hero, okay? Don't attract any unnecessary attention to yourself. Stay behind the trees and don't let them see you. If they do and catch you, just let them and wait. Understand?"

They nodded and Natsume glanced at Mikan who was frowning in concentration and he felt the wind weakened once more in a wider range so the others can move away without being hindered by it. "Don't over do it. Let them think they still have the upper hand, the longer they think so, the easier it will be for us to catch them off guard."

_And where the hell is security, damn it!_

A dry and sardonic voice reached his ear. "I think catching them off guard is out of the question now, Hyuuga."

He gave Hotaru a glance before looking to where she pointed and cursed loudly. "What the _hell_?"

Three masked dangerous abilities had stepped into the fray and he recognized them. It wasn't like they were bad fighters or that he was itching for the fight himself, it was that there was a damn hierarchy to consider and to respect. They weren't supposed to do anything without his approval, damn Doumoto and damn his ambition.

_Koko, tell Monchu to get a move on evacuating them students. It's about to get ugly._

Not a second too soon, they saw the panicking crowd was parted forcefully and pulled to the sides behind the lines of trees by an unseen hand. Natsume blinked at the speed and strength of that action. A sly, sick heaviness settled in his stomach as he realized that it wasn't going to be long until Monchu will be recruited into some vague section of dangerous ability.

He eyed the path that led towards the school, trying to catch a glimpse of Ruka but he didn't see a thing. He gritted his teeth, _the irony of it all_. In the field he was given free reign and he could commandeered a friggin' army if he wanted but here he had to wait for approval. He watched as his friends stood by him, doing what they can to restrain things until he can take over. He marveled at their courage, their loyalty and their determination even though he can feel their fear vibrating in the air.

"Just a little longer guys." He whispered to himself and sneered when a rat mask clad Doumoto fell on his ass, several cuts on his upper body. _Stupid amateur._

Currently stuck in the sidelines doing nothing, he settled himself down to observe and scrutinized their enemy for any weaknesses. His long red eyes sharpened, focusing on each individual, already strategizing and prioritizing as he listed their weak points and abilities. His mind analyzing the best way to take them out with the least fuss and the shortest time possible, knowing that the longer they stay, conscious at least, the more information they can get from their surroundings and frankly Doumoto's team is not the best advocate of their abilities and a show of weakness will only guarantee a repetition of this stunt. Natsume found himself looking out for Persona to pull Doumoto back because the longer that amateur wanna-be got his ass kicked, he knew he had to be twice as ruthless, twice as vicious. This was just a power play, if they wanted to invade them academy, they would not have sent some class two Alice and would have doubled their numbers. They would still lose but it would create more casualties on the academy's part.

This was a game of who can bluff the most and he was the Academy's trump card.

He nudged Mikan with his elbow and was nudged back, harder. "I'm concentrating here, Natsume-kun."

"It's called multitask, ojou. An enemy will not stop attacking you just because you're concentrating."

The girl grumped but Natsume noticed that her control and stamina had strengthened from them last time they trained, not to mention her concentration. When Natsume finally gave in to her demands about training, he was frustrated with her pathetic attempts on keeping her attention on one thing. He suspected that she had some kind of attention disorder but that had improved greatly much to his relief. He shouldn't be all surprised since one of her plus points was her awesome will power.

"Since we're not doing anything, we're going to have a test, baka."

"Blah."

He ignored Hotaru's raised brow and Mikan's icky faces. "Consider it training. What was the first mistake the rat and his friends did?"

Mikan glanced at Natsume suspiciously, not because that this was something new, they'd been playing this type of Q&A since he'd begun training her but because she suspected that it was another dig for what happened between her and Doumoto but since Natsume only quirked an eyebrow at her, she decided to take the question as it was. "Hn…jump in without observation…?"

"The second?"

He always insisted that she analyze and second guessed her thoughts and actions. In training her, he would tell her that she made a mistake but he wouldn't tell her what it was, leaving it to herself to figure it out then how she could fix it. He was an exacting and demanding teacher in all areas of her training and she had the bruises and aches to prove it. It was a good thing she was good in sports and her physical stamina was better than most because of all the times she spent running, hiking, walking, swimming in rivers and climbing trees in her village, but even then every time they finished training, she always felt like she was trampled by a stampede while _he_ didn't even have the decency to act at least winded if not tired.

It didn't help at all that her Alice stamina sucked. Big time.

The first thing Natsume told her when they started on to her Alice training was that it was harder to maintain their Alice for long length of times in small doses than letting it out as a strong burst of energy. Back then, she had scoffed and he was hell bent on proving it, as a result at the end of the hour where she was told to keep her power on a gentle simmer, he had to drag her back to her room since she was half dead to the world.

Since then, she was used to the headaches, nausea, muscle jerks and the way her eyes felt like it would pop out of her head.

Natsume can deny all he wanted until he's blue in the face, but it wasn't just his power that leaves people in awe of him but also his enviable focus, awesome determination and down right disgusting diligence.

Before she really knew what his so called 'training' entailed, she used to scoffed and teased him about his 'weak and sickly self' every time he appeared in class all worn out or when he overslept, now after experiencing some of those training herself, her respect for him soared...not that she'll ever admit it or anything.

She jolted out of her thoughts when a warm hand covered her shoulder and she turned to Natsume and Hotaru, Ruka was running towards them carrying something.

Natsume's Kuro Neko mask.


	10. At the Point of No Return

**EXODUS**

**Chapter Ten: At the Point of No Return**

All of them took martial arts.

It was a requirement really, as Alices, they should know how to protect themselves. After all not all of them have an active power.

Hence, martial arts classes.

But like other things in life, there are some who fare better than others.

Mikan's agility, talent for sports and perseverance even her recklessness made her stellar but that was only expected since she was also trained by Natsume since they were twelve years old.

Yuu's concentration and efficiency, Hotaru's cool head and unflinching composure made them one of the best.

Ruka's determination and surprising strong will, made him an unpredictable opponent.

Monchu's strength and inner stability made him more than good. Koko's alice made him nearly impossible to beat as Kitsuneme's made him more than impossible to touch. Even Anna and Konoki with their agility and speed were more than passable. But as they watched Natsume danced around his opponents, they saw that Natsume was in a whole other league.

Control.

Experience.

State of mind.

Even the level of ruthlessness and efficiency was different.

It wasn't just his superior balance, flexibility and body strength, not to mention stamina, strategy, reflex, focus and it was no use denying it, the killing instinct. But most of all, they knew Natsume was far better than them because of the reason behind his actions. When they fight, it was to protect themselves while for Natsume it was a matter of life and death as well as the safety of the people that he felt responsible for.

If they somehow failed to win against their attacker the worst that could happen was they would be sold to the highest bidder but the general reaction against Kuro Neko was either 'kill or be killed' so it was only natural that Natsume's motivation was stronger than theirs ever will.

It also wasn't just speed or his inhuman-like reflex, it was also the sharpness of his senses, it was like he knew where the enemy was at all time, like he was in tune with their movements and thus able to respond before the enemy even had a chance to react.

They watched Natsume dodged a punch and use his body's momentum to kick the person behind him as he again pivoted to catch another person with an elbow. He moved in a controlled, steady motion, there was no hesitation, no pause as he sidestepped, ducked, flip, jumped and twisted in the air as if he was free from the bounds of gravity.

Unbelievingly graceful, precise and undeniably beautiful.

_If you can't predict their movements, manipulate._

Mikan can almost hear Natsume's low voice in her ear as she watched the fight. She clamped her fingers together when Natsume caught a small knife that was heading straight to the back of his head and threw it to the person at his left who reflexively dodged to the side…right into the path of Natsume's roundhouse kick.

He fell and no longer moved.

Her heart jumped when Natsume blocked a swing of a kodachi with his arm and exhaled when she heard the sharp clang of metal against metal. _He's wearing an arm guard. Thank Kami._

_Always be prepared. Expect the unexpected._

When those clichés rolled off his tongue Mikan had rolled her eyes at him. _That should teach me._

Another went down for the count.

From fourteen, five was left. It was the first time Mikan felt glad to see Natsume hardly breathing hard but she was far from relieved. The leader of the bunch hadn't showed his true color yet and he was pretty strong, she sensed it.

And the fact that they were brave enough to sneak into the academy with only fourteen people made her think they have something up their sleeves.

She jumped when a hand pressed on her shoulder and exchanged a wobbly smile with Ruka.

"He'll be okay."

She nodded and resisted the urge to bite her fingernails. Her instincts were screaming inside of her demanding her to help, to jump into the fight but she had promised him and though it pained her, she also knew she'd be more of a hindrance than help. Frustration and bitterness welled up inside her. Like Hotaru once said, her power is as selfish and one dimension as the rest of her. It made sense, after all, isn't their powers apart of them? Why shouldn't it suit their personality?

A sharp shriek filled the air when Natsume's fireball deflected towards an innocent crowd of grade school students. Without thinking Mikan ran towards them and was about ready to nullify when her concentration jerked at Hotaru's voice.

"Don't!"

Experience, trust and friendship made her obey rather then question so instead of using her powers she bowled over and pushed them to the ground, the fire ball missed their heads by mere inches. It wasn't after her friends rushed over to help by pulling the little kids away that she realized her mistake.

_Enemy. Don't let them know your Alice. Right. Natsume is so going to kick my ass later._

Mikan's eyes met with the broadness of Natsume's back, blocking the enemy's curious eyes from her and the others.

The leader's chilly blue eyes flicked to Kuro Neko's mask, as if he was trying to calculate his chances of walking through Natsume.

Mikan snorted, _fat chance_. An hand grasped her arm and jerked her to the back of the crow and she turned a befuddled look to Koko. "Natsume wants you to go inside the academy."

"What? No, I don't want to go."

"Mikan." Hotaru cut Koko off. "Go. It won't help Natsume if they take an interest on you."

If anything would Mikan, those words would be it.

Natsume clenched and unclenched his hand when Yuu signaled that Mikan was gone. His crimson eyes focused on the remaining three, they were good fighters and experienced enough than the others. Merely hurting them was not an option, it was evident on their faces. He'd rather not have Mikan there to watch him draw blood.

If he had a choice, he'd feel better if nobody was there, especially his friends. After this, the rumors about him would no longer be just that, it will change into cold hard facts.

This is his home and they brought the stench of blood in it and even worse, they force him to do what was necessary in front of his friends.

The primal anger seemed to seep out of his pores that he wouldn't be surprised if he saw smoke coming out of his skin.

As if sensing the change in his demeanor, the blonde's taunting smirk changed into a mean smile. "Tell me, Kuro Neko-san. How many have you killed? How many lives have you taken? You're so young, but old in sin, no?"

The hand that fluttered in the air was graceful and elegant. "And for what? For all this? For them?" Those icy blue eyes spread to the students cowering at the sides, unable to leave and unwilling to participate. Several faces reddened at the disgusted tsk. "Hardly seems worth it."

The cool yet lazy blue eyes sharpened. "Kuro Neko, the famous guardian of Alice Academy…or should I say infamous? Notorious perhaps?" He chuckled and trade glances with the two behind him. It was obvious to Natsume that he likes the sound of his own voice, it was just so cliché, the monologing bad guy. Natsume stifled a snort.

"Do you know that you're like the boogieman in our world? They say you'll come and snatch bad little alices in their sleep." His gilded head tilted in curiosity. "What do they give you to earn such loyalty? Money?" He shook his head and tapped a manicured finger to his chin. "No. Not money. Do you believe in their lofty ideals? Their high and mighty principals? Are you a believer, Kuro Neko-san? Is that why you bleed? Why you go out every night to search for prey at the bidding of your masters? Why you sacrificed your freedom to be a tool for those who don't want to get their hands dirty?"

To say that his words didn't bother Natsume would be a lie but what bothered him most was the maniacal gleam in his eyes.

_Great, not only a killer but also a disgruntled killer. Just my luck._

"Are you here to talk me to death?"

Blue eyes blinked then smiled. Pleased. "I came here to kill you but I also want to understand you.

_An amateur psychologist… that's it. Someone's going to die. _

An appreciative smile curved on the disturbingly cold face. "So calm, so contained. Perhaps it's true. Killing at such a young age, doing missions at an age where other children still believes in Santa Claus and The Easter Bunny." Those blue eyes narrowed in thought. "Do you resent it? Don't you resent having to sacrifice your own childhood so they can live the life that should have been yours?" He nodded his chin towards the watching crowds. "Look at them, weak cowardly creatures. They're not half as good as you and I, not half as talented, not half as powerful. So why do you protect them? Why do you go night by night, sacrificing your life, your eternal soul?"

"Do you believe in God?"

Natsume checked the urge to roll his eyes. If this carries on much longer, he'll throw in the towel just to make him stop. Talk about cruel and unusual punishment.

"I heard things about you. How they fear and envy you. Fear the very thing that protects them. They abhor you for taking a life, ignoring the very fact that it is by that act alone that their lives were spared. They look down on you for doing what they consider immoral work, dirty work, they lecture you about the right thing to do, about God, about mercy, not realizing that the fact that they can stand so high on their pedestal, feeling so superior, sprouting scriptures as if they are God's prophets is because you crawled on your hands and knees, drenched in mud and blood and tears and vomit to build those pedestals. They live on your sacrifice. They owe their peace and their happiness to every drop of blood and tears, every scar on your young body, every shred of your lost innocence, every crack in your heart, every love lost, every dream shattered, every promise broken and every nightmare that keeps you awake at nights. They should grovel at your feet, instead, they reject you, repulse you. How _dare_ they?"

The silence that greeted the long winded yet true speech was broken by Natsume. "Hm. I think you're projecting. Feeling a little underappreciated, are we?"

Natsume dodged the three kunai's that the spy threw at him, caught the other two with his left hand. He felt relief at the enemy's decision to fight hands on, it minimized collateral damage and it'll help his stamina. He dodged and flipped as he tossed back the kunai's that he caught back at the spy. The spy was fast and he thinks on his feet. He was persistent, his anger adding to his speed and strength. Natsume shifted his feet to duck under a punch, blocked the punch to his kidneys, the spy countered with pivoting and was about to smash an elbow to his temple but Natsume bent at the waist and lift a leg and kicked his chin, forcing him to step back a couple of times, dizzy. But he recovered quickly and pulled out two kodachi from its saya that hung from his back.

Philosophically, Natsume shrugged, sure, they had weapons and he didn't but he knew that will only be a disadvantage if he let it. It was easy enough to disarm them. Weapons were made of metals, metals can be heated. His Alice was fire.

Simple, isn't it?

The one with the gun fell unconscious as the bullets in his gun exploded in his face, the one with the sword fell screaming as Natsume pulled and kicked, breaking the joints of his leg and hands. Not going to walk or hold something anytime soon. He wondered why it looked better since it was bloodless when the truth was it would've been more merciful if he'd stab him. The guy was whimpering on the ground, unable to move.

"Impressive." The blonde shifted his eyes as if he was distracted, Natsume immediately knew by what when a bruised and battered Koko burst from the back of the crowd, his left hand hung at a strange angle from his side. His face looked pained, frustrated and angry. Blood ran from a cut above his brow, a distressed Yuu and Anna held him from running towards him. "Give her back."

Natsume didn't have the luxury to hesitate because he felt something behind him and he leapt away…and met Mikan's tense amber eyes.


	11. Decide, Decide

**EXODUS**

**Chapter Eleven : Decide, Decide**

**-------**

He was all but deaf except for the rush of blood in his head and the beating of his heart that counted the seconds.

He was all but blind except for her amber eyes and the glinting iron that was alarmingly close to her slender throat.

For seconds that was disturbingly long, Natsume's mind went blank, his balance shook and even time seemed to stop. His world that was so perfect when he woke up tilted at its axis.

Then training and instinct took over.

With a speed that was dizzying, his tunnel vision widened, taking everything in; from the ripples in the air to the shuffling movement of the crowd but fear slicked his throat even as his restless brain processed the situation. Surprise turned to confusion when he saw that Mikan's captor was the same guy with the exploding gun. A glance showed him where the gun and the slightly singed hat was, but the man was nowhere around.

_A teleporter. Kuso!_

Natsume's brow tweaked as something came into mind, _wait, no way he could've survived that kind of wound_. His mind ran a mile a minute as he accessed the facts. _A dopple ganger replaced him so he could teleport to get Mikan._ _Idiot!_

Natsume shifted his eyes when Mikan disappeared and reappeared in the blonde's arms. In the minute he realized that the look in Mikan's eyes was not pain but dizziness, he tried to calm his heartbeat.

Mikan's brow twitched when the blonde jerked her chin upwards so he could see her face and she slapped his hands away, not because she was brave or anything like that, it was because she didn't want to throw up her breakfast. Not that she would mind acquainting her captor to her eggs and toast, it's just that she knew that she would never live it down and she could count on Natsume to remind her again and again and again, her insides cringed, no way would she want that!

She scowled when the blonde guy chuckled and petted her hair. "Feisty. Big eyes." Mikan felt as if caterpillars inched up her skin when the guy sniffed her hair. She pulled at the arm around her neck but she merely got plastered to him even more. "Lovely long hair."

Freaked out was the order of the day. "Stop describing me. What is it with you guys and sexual harassments?"

Mikan swallowed an undignified squeak when she found herself lifted, her feet wiggling in the air, the side of her face pressed against the blonde's. The smell of sweat, heat and blood did nothing to calm her uneasy stomach.

"Do you know her?"

_Leave your emotion. Emotion is a weakness in battle._

It was a good thing he was wearing a mask because he certainly lost all control of his face, cold sweat erupted on his skin as he tried to suppress the shiver that went up his spine. He shoved his trembling hands inside his pockets and forced the tension out of his body.

The blonde pursed his lips, his eyes fully on Natsume, calculating, thoughtful. The hand that was not holding Mikan up by her waist, petted her long hair absently. It helped Natsume's mood that Mikan looked more insulted rather than afraid.

But she heaved a breath of relief when he let her down but sucked it in again when his hand returned around her neck, keeping her close. An idea popped into her head, Mikan lifted her eyes towards Natsume, trying to catch his attention.

Natsume's merely flickered towards her but she knew she had his attention. Her hand traveled slowly on her captor's arm that was around her neck and hoped that Natsume knew what she was thinking. She almost smiled when Natsume got his hands out of his pockets and casually crossed them in front of her chest, covering it up as a gesture of defiance as he answered the blonde's question. "No."

Mikan ignored the exchange of words between the two alpha's and concentrated on Natsume's hands or more precisely, on the two fingers that was subtly pressing on his other arm, a few inches below his elbow. So focused was she on that, she didn't noticed the knife on her captor's hand until it caught the glare of the sun and bounced off Natsume's mask, highlighting the red, vengeful eyes.

"So, you really don't know her, huh?" The blonde shrugged. "Well, there's one way to find out."

Both Mikan and Natsume tensed at the tell tale click of a gun and she can't help but point out. "Now that is not fair."

The blonde raised an eyebrow. "There are two of us and two of you."

Mikan snorted. "One of us is a hostage while the other has a gun pointed at him, to his back no less. How is that fair?"

Natsume didn't know whether to be angry or disturbed when the blonde chucked Mikan's stubborn chin with the end of the knife in a gesture that was strangely affectionate. _Great, even bad guys succumbed under her charm. _

"True, but he is Kuro Neko after all. I think the odds are in your favor."

"So you say."

"You're cute."

"You're crazy."

The blonde chuckled and tapped her right cheek with the flat of the knife before he turned his attention towards Natsume once again. "So, you have a choice. If you dodge, the bullet will hit her. If you try to get the gun, I'll cut her throat. If you try to get to me, you get shot in the back and I'll cut her throat. Either way, she dies."

Natsume fists cracked. "Not much of choice."

Mikan scowled at Natsume who was fighting hard not to lose his cool.

"So is life as you very well know, Kuro Neko-san."

"True." Natsume shifted his feet and felt the man holding the gun at his back followed his every move. There was no way he could get to Mikan fast enough, especially if he was shot. Using his Alice was a no go, he wasn't quiet sure of his control right now. "You're probably feeling pretty smart by now, huh?"

The blonde's satisfied sigh fluttered Mikan's bangs into her face. She blew them back, seemingly untouched by the threat of the knife against her neck. "Yes, I am."

"Hm. You underestimated a few things though."

He tilted his head in inquiry, a mocking smile on his mouth. "Oh? What's that?"

Mikan's amber eyes met Natsume's fierce crimson and it was Mikan who answered rather than Natsume. "Me. "

Their audience didn't even have a chance to blink when Natsume pivoted, dislodged the gun that was aimed at his back with a well aimed fireball that melted the gun onto his hands. He howled in pain as he rolled on the ground.

At the very same time Natsume charged his opponent, Mikan somehow got loose, her captor's hand that seconds before held a knife to her neck now hung limp on his side, unable to move, the blonde stared at it in surprise before he came to his senses and reached for Mikan with his other hand.

Mikan leapt away from the blond and as if she sensed Natsume at her back, reached a hand behind her and gripped Natsume's. Their hands joined precisely when the blond got a hold of the edges of her hair.

Then everything was a blur of motion.

A horrified gasp tore out of the onlookers when Mikan erupted into flames, surprising the hell of the blonde who immediately let go. Like a scene of a particularly tragic dance, Natsume swung Mikan, her long hair flaring in a perfect circle that enveloped them in a curtain of fire before the fire rippled and died, cinders hovered in the air as Mikan found herself smooshed onto Natsume's broad back, his hand that was holding hers earlier on was hard on her back, keeping her there. She would've protested if she didn't feel his thundering heart beat, the slickness of cold sweat, and the tension that threaten to snap Natsume in two.

A sick, twisted kind of fury laced with a feral satisfaction burst in Natsume's chest when he finally saw a familiar emotion on the blonde's face as they faced each other.

Fear.

Like the animal they named him after, Natsume bared his fangs and with a speed that others found mind boggling and a flick of his wrist, the air was filled with the sounds of rippling flesh. Fresh blood splashed against the ground and decorated Natsume's mask with a silent hiss. The blond reached for his torn neck, trying to stop the flow of red, his blue eyes widen in disbelief, shone with tears before he dropped to his knees, gagging for much needed air, his mouth opened and closed in a silent scream before he fell on his face on the concrete, blood seeping in a slow widening circle.

The crowd stared in horror of what they just saw, their eyes fixed on the bloody figure lying on the quad and the blood splattered figure that stood, looking over it.

Silent, cold, deadly.

It wasn't until Mikan moved that they noticed her, plastered against Natsume's back like she was a part of it. Compared to the blood spattered background and unconscious bodies, she looked out of place with her white shirt, her cute face, her bright big eyes, and her slightly mussed honey blond hair, especially when compared to the one standing in front of her. Natsume's dark jacket disguised the blood stains but his mouth was drenched with blood, the burning eyes that looked out of its slit and the sheer dark, menacing aura that emanated from his tall and straight figure brought goose bumps on their skin.

Here was nightmare in the flesh, fear personified. It was only luck of the draw that had Kuro Neko on their side rather than the other.

Some, who knew and had tasted how harsh the world could be on people who are different, would sleep better at night knowing that. Some who didn't, would suffer through useless and unreasonable guilt and restless nights that will somehow produce finger pointing and air sniffing as they ease their conscious with disapproval towards Natsume's methods. Some who saw how efficiently Natsume 'took care' of problems vowed to never be a problem to Natsume while others found their minds blanked as they upchucked their breakfast at the nearest secluded space.

A wisp of a voice finally ruined the deafening silence that blanketed the quad. "Mikan?"

Mikan looked to the side as much as she could since her face was pressed against Natsume's shoulder blades and aimed a smile at the anxious faces of her friends. She gave them a thumbs up and watched their shoulders relaxed. Their eyes shifted towards Natsume but refrained from saying anything, it was a year ago that Natsume made them promise to never approach or recognize him when he was 'on the job', not even when they pass each other on the school hallways.

But promise or no promise, Mikan needed to breathe so she placed her palm on them broadness of Natsume's back and pressed gently, slipping Natsume out of his trance. She heard his harsh breath hitched and felt the large palm on her back flexed, fisting her shirt a second before letting go, one finger at a time.

Security flooded the quad, forcibly breaking the crowd, teachers belatedly ushered their students away but it was the arrival of Persona and seven masked figures that did the job. Both Natsume and Mikan did a double take at the new arrivals, it was rare for Persona to appear in front of crowds, especially when the sun was shining so brightly like today. Persona's affection for shadows has made him them brunt of several interesting speculations.

"You're late."

Even though the commentary was more careless than accusing, a state of fact rather a complaint, not just one or two of the masked figures cringed inwardly, trust Natsume to be the only one to who was braved enough to critique Persona…or more precisely, the only person who was allowed to.

Persona tsked as he idly poked his booted feet on the nearest unconscious person, his burgundy eyes accessing his condition. "I figured you could handle it alone."

Mikan saw the look that Natsume was giving the four masked students that was grouped on Persona's left and the way they shifted their feet. She recognized that look, somebody's ass was about to be hand out to them on a silver platter. She almost pitied them but for the most part, she was just glad that it was not aimed at her though she was sure she will get chewed on sooner or later. She already know the gist of it, words like irresponsible, reckless and harebrained ring in her ears. A whiff of rust and copper wafted to her nostrils and her eyes dropped towards the bloodied body at Natsume's feet and can't help but wonder how many had looked, had fallen like that. Just minutes ago, this person was still talking and still warm, his heart was still beating but now he was just…meat. She cringed at her own choice of words.

Does she regret the waste of life? Yes.

Does she regret what Natsume did? Yes.

Does she agree on what he did? Yes.

It wasn't like that there was no other choice. There is always a choice, it was simply the fact that the other choices were…unappealing. It was either them or us. Following her own train of thought, she realized that Natsume's and Hotaru's practicality had rubbed off on her.

Besides, it wasn't that she regretted Natsume's actions, she would rather that he didn't have to do to it. But, Natsume was never the one to back off when his hand was forced. She couldn't help but wonder whether the blonde had someone waiting for him, friends or family, someone who will be sad. She wondered what they were going to do with his body.

"Well, _he's_ dead." Persona commented absently, supervising the removals of the unconscious body. "Cleaning his blood from the concrete will be a pain." He rose and shrugged. "But not our problem."

"Persona."

The white masked figure gave a questioning sound as he jerked the teleporter's head by the hair and abruptly let it loose so it dropped to the ground with a loud crack.

Mikan winced.

"I have a challenge."

Mikan almost took a huge step back when the numerous masked faces snapped towards Natsume, even Persona's. Obviously what he said was of an interest towards them. "Well, this is rare. Who will have such an honor?"

One by one, they followed Natsume's fierce gaze towards an individual who wore a rat mask. Mikan recognized who it was and winced again. Doumoto. This is not good.

"Not that I would enjoy that but you know the rules. You only get to challenge someone of your level or one level above you." Persona mused, obviously just for show. "Well, you only get to challenge someone of your level since you're already my pride and joy."

Mikan fought desperately to not roll her eyes.

"Consider it punishment then. He broke protocol."

"True." He waved a careless hand. "Fine. Whatever."

"He can't do that." Doumoto protested urgently.

"Watch him, Rat-face. If you found enough guts to broke protocol you should have the guts for the repercussions." The lion was tall and had red hair, it suited the gold color of his mask. Pale green eyes whipped towards Natsume. "Leave the preparations to me. It'll be done before your debriefing is over."

"Well, that's that."

Mikan who was trying to make herself nonexistent and oblivious while walking away from the crowd of masked people (it's been pounded into her by Natsume whenever Persona was around) failed miserably when her knees wobbled and sat hard on the cement.

She brought up a hand to indicate she was fine to the crowding figures of her friends, also to sign for Natsume who was watching her go from the corner of his eyes.

"Fine. I'm fine. I'm okay. Adrenalin rush. Gone." She blew a deep breath. Typically, now that it was all over, her heart started to pound a mile a minute and cold sweat slicked her skin. Talk about belated reaction, she winced when a subtle peek at their direction showed that the mask figures were all looking at her.

"Ah, yes. I heard you had an accident, Ko Neko. How are you doing?"

Mikan turned towards Persona who was again crouched down over another unconscious body, turning the person's head this way and that.

"I'm fine. Thank you for asking, Persona-san."

Natsume fought the bitterness that welled up in his mouth when Persona turned and beamed at Mikan. He wanted to push her out of the way of those burgundy eyes and poisonous smile but he stayed where he stood.

"You did well today. You kept your head."

"I'm very glad I did since that's how I prefer it."

Mikan winced when Yuu pinched her waist.

"Please excuse us, Persona-san."

Natsume noticed the many eyes that followed her back and can feel his spine straighten, one at a time.

"Well, never did say she didn't have guts." Persona signaled and each lifted an unconscious body. Natsume stayed silent, bristling inside, he knew that Persona was trying to provoke him. "A bit reckless. She's like you, Neko-san. Only louder."

The lion smirked and that smirk stayed when Natsume shifted his eyes towards him, he merely shrugged, unperturbed by Natsume's intensity.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go. I'll take care if this."

Natsume was uneasy by Persona's observation of the dead body but he went with the others and tried to quell the bad feeling he had about it all.


	12. The Ever After

**EXODUS**

**Chapter Twelve : The Ever After**

**-------**

Love bade me welcome, yet my soul drew back

Guilty of dust and sin.

Love by

George Herber

-----

He sighed when he took off his lion mask and rubbed the sweat that dribbled down his neck.

"Leo." At the sound of his name he lifted a hand to absently catch his pale green eyes glued on his off and on again teammate.

"So." He started, but Natsume didn't even bother to pause while he strapped on his arm guards, the heavy sound of metal hitting metal grated in the gym that was unusually quiet. Unusual, but understandable after the sight of Doumoto's unconscious body that had to be dragged out of the ring after Natsume was done with him.

Leo, who often prided himself as someone who never backed away from a fight hoped he would never have to fight against a pissed off Natsume. Being beat up until your body shut down is one thing, being so frightened out of your wits until you blacked out is another thing all together.

It was a bitter pill to swallow for Leo because he wasn't entirely sure that he wouldn't freak the way Doumoto did.

It was surprising really, that Natsume can be just as vindictive, just as petty as the rest of them. One of the reasons why a lot of them didn't bother to set a challenge for Natsume was because he was considered fair and neutral. He was a stickler for protocols but that was for good reason. It also helped that he could kick their asses senseless if he wanted too, but that was just it, he never did. He could be hard if someone deserved it but other than that he never tried to exercise his status as leader, as alpha, he wasn't power hungry or ambitious. He was also a loner and never tried to blend with them, which Leo understood. He was their leader, not their friend.

But even as Natsume rode them hard and relentlessly both in missions and training, he was never intentionally cruel like he was today in the ring with Doumoto.

At first, the crowd was excited with the news of a challenge especially as they heard that it was Natsume vs Doumoto. It was no secret that Doumoto hated Natsume, loud and obnoxious he mouthed to everyone who would listen, which weren't many, of how he would challenge Natsume one day. The more Natsume ignored him, the more he mouthed off.

The lot of them jostled and pushed into the gym to form a circle around the ring and cheered at the prospect of a fight. But then Natsume stepped into the ring; he had taken off his jacket, shoes, tie and arm guard so he shouldn't have look so intimidating in a white shirt, a cat mask and checkered uniform trousers, but all of it was splattered with blood and both of his hands were caked with it. But then again they were the dangerous ability class, not the warm and fuzzy ability class, blood, either their own or others were an everyday thing.

Natsume stood in front of Doumoto, still and silent. The lack of preparation or stance was a hint of what's to come. Even when he trained rookies he always dropped himself into a stance in respect for his opponent and as an example of his stern warning to never ever underestimate the enemy. Most of their class's success in carrying out missions was due to the fact that their enemies see them as children even when they knew what they were. It was those seconds where they hesitate that gives them the upper hand.

Angry, anxious and insulted, Doumoto charged with a barrage of attacks but Natsume eluded it with ease. Frustrated, Doumoto increased his attacks but Natsume still avoided it with what seemed to be little effort which of course made Doumoto more determined but no matter how hard he tried he was still unable to even so much as graze Natsume much less hit him. It was as if Natsume wanted to make it clear that Doumoto was way out of his league and by not even bothering to hit back, Natsume was showing to everybody that Doumoto was an annoyance, not a danger. The implied insult was enough to surprise the crowd but it was the thick, suffocating air that enveloped Natsume like a dark shroud that silenced the crowed and made Doumoto even edgier. It seemed to pulsed in the air and made Natsume looked larger, scarier, more dangerous

When Natsume dodged faster, his footwork grew more elaborate, his movement efficient and sharper, the air seemed to tremble with his presence and Leo admitted that it even raised the fine hairs on his neck. While Natsume moved faster and faster, Doumoto's movement grew wilder and inconsistent. Pressured, angry, freaked, Doumoto's breath quickened as his heart beat like crazy, his eyes blinked the cold sweat out of his eyes as it flicked wildly from side to side in order to keep up with Natsume's movements. Eventually, the pressure got too much for him and his footwork lagged, his breath harsh, his movements slowed, his instincts dulled and when Natsume, at least in his eyes, appeared out of no where right in front of him without so much as a whisper, his mind simply blanked and his muscles halted to a stop.

Then his eyes rolled to the back of his head and toppled down with a loud sound, if Leo was faster on picking his jaw off the ground he would've shouted 'timbeeeeeer'.

Leo would like to think that Natsume was fed up with Doumoto's attitude but honestly, the challenge just stank of personal vendetta and after hearing about Doumoto's run in with Sakura Mikan, Natsume's partner, he was sure that it was down right personal.

"What?" Aggrieved with the slightly mocking and knowing look on Leo's face, Natsume finally shifted his red eyes towards the fifteen year old boy.

Leo pursed his lips as he looked straight into Natsume's eyes that still peeked out of the slits of his mask, then smiled. "Nothing."

Natsume slipped into his jacket that was stiff because of all the dried blood while he ignored Leo's pale green eyes. Leo gets on his nerves more than the others but he was one hell of a second in command besides, when push comes to shove Natsume rather have him watch his back than any other person in the class which is the sole reason why he was still more or less in Natsume's good guy list.

Leo hummed absently as though he had something in his mind, it wasn't until they reached outside that Leo flashed a cocky grin and gave a two finger salute. "You should shower before you see her." And then he was off before Natsume had a chance to punish him for that smartass remark.

Natsume scowled at the ripple of dust that gathered in the air at Leo's departure. _Damn, he's getting fast_.

"What are you doing here, old man?" He let the irritation crept into his voice as he found no other outlet for it. Sullen red eyes flashed towards the older person who was casually leaning on the wall.

Tono raised an eyebrow. "Obviously not to see your charming self."

Natsume snorted, he wasn't surprised to see the Amplify Alice user in the Dangerous Ability section, with such a unique and rare alice, he worked with every section of the school so he was free to go anywhere he pleased which in turn why he usually knew a lot about a lot of things. In return his every movement and actions were closely monitored by head quarters like all Alice Users that showed promise.

Tono shoved his long black hair out of his face and for once Natsume could see the tired lines around his shadowed eyes. "I just came back from a mission with Tsubasa and Misaki, we heard about what happened." His dark eyes observed the blood splattered mask on Natsume's face, the dried blood on Natsume's shirt. "That's not yours, I take it?'

"What do you want?"

"Head quarter is all abuzz about something."

Natsume didn't acknowledge the subtle warning instead he shoved his hands in his pockets. "How many did you bring back?"

Tono lit a cigarette and took a long drag. Although Tsubasa and Misaki were also recruited by headquarters, they were more into search and rescue or guarding new Alice's on their first journey towards the Academy. With so much opposition from Anti Alice and the increase in demand for Alice users and Alice user types of missions, it was no surprise that a few kidnap attempts were made and what better chance to take than when the Alice user was still young and malleable. Breaking into the academy was too much of a risk, so many tried to take their chance when the Alice user was still outside the academy.

Tono shrugged. "We got all of them."

Maybe it was the way Tono puffed away his cigarette, maybe it was the way the guy slouched against the wall, Natsume felt an urge to say something…nice. _It's the damn baka's fault!_

Against gritted teeth he managed to mumble. "That's good."

"Is it?" The question and the cynical twist on the man's face didn't surprise Natsume though it made him uncomfortable because somehow it felt like they were, God forbid, friends. "You know better. The longer they are outside…"

"…the longer they'll be in danger." Tono dropped his cigarette and stepped on it with his foot. After glaring at the stub, he waved his hand, dismissing the conversation. "Whatever. Just remember to watch your back. If you're gone…" Tono didn't bother to continue the sentence before walking away, not that Natsume needed to hear the rest of it anyway; he knew exactly what will happen if something happen to him. His classmates will be fresh meat to headquarters various sections and Mikan…Mikan will be up for grabs. He turned towards head quarters and tried to think of the best way to intimidate someone into telling him what the fuss was all about.

Tono might be a pain but he was no chump when it comes to danger.

Natsume rubbed his forehead, he didn't know who he was more irritated with. He did mean to see Mikan until he remembered Leo's suggestion, call it pride, call it his need to be unpredictable, he did a one eighty and head back towards his own suite and justified it by thinking that she was probably asleep by now.

Natsume started to slip out of his jacket but stopped when he felt a presence in his bedroom, he relaxed when he figured out who it was. He should've known. "It's late."

Mikan sat up on the sofa she was napping on and rubbed her eyes. She peered at him in the darkness and reached for the table lamp.

"Don't."

The copper scent of blood reached Mikan's nose in the darkness and her senses sharpened. "Did you just come in?

"Obviously."

Settling his jacket back on his shoulders, Natsume took out a bottle of water from him fridge and drank deep, ignoring the pair of amber eyes that was slowly observing his every movement.

"Did you figure out who they were?"

"They're working on it."

Mikan's amber eyes took in the mask and the uniform. "Where have you been?"

Natsume leaned on the kitchen counter. "Briefing."

Mikan stifled the urge to nag, she was starting to get used to the way Natsume stayed vague after a mission or a fight, like he was trying to relearn how to be Natsume Hyuuga and not be Kuro Neko. "You should take a shower while I make you something to eat."

"I just want a bath and sleep."

She understood the sentiment. A hot bath would do wonders for all the aches and tiredness of his limbs, but she didn't want to leave him alone while he lay in a bathtub full of hot water that was tinted by blood with only his thoughts as company.

"Take a shower first to clean up. Give me your clothes first so I can soak them."

"I'll take care of it." It said something about Natsume's condition when he didn't realized that Mikan was as close as she was until she made a grab for his mask. "No."

Natsume's head inched back and he lifted his hands to block hers…then saw the blood that stained his skin. His hesitation gave a window for Mikan to snatch his mask with a quick twist of her wrists.

The cool fresh air that touched his damp face was sweet relief as the lingering smell of blood was replaced by the scent of orange blossoms and…cookies. No longer limited by the small slits of the mask, his eyes seemed to use their newfound freedom by zooming onto the nearest most beautiful thing; her big amber eyes, the curve of her cheeks, the gentle smile on her mouth. "Found you."

It was ridiculous.

Crazy.

Terrifying.

Unreasonably unreasonable.

Four years ago, the girl that was standing right before him was a stranger, someone that he didn't know even exist, so how is it that now as he looked at her, he couldn't see a tomorrow without her in it? How is it that this one girl that he shared nothing in common with, ended up in his room with his mask in her hand, looking at him with a smile on her face?

And how exactly that it was her and not all the atrocities that he had witnessed in his numerous missions that finally introduced him to the true meaning of fear?

Surely there must be something wrong with the universe because looking at her, just _looking_ at her made him realized that there is nothing, absolutely _nothing_ that he won't do for her, try for her or give to her. Although he live inside an academy that enslave and force him to do things that still and continue to give him nightmares, inside he was still free and although everything that he has now is because they allowed him to have it, there is still a small part of him that they could not claim.

But this one girl who with her actions and her words showed him and gave him so many impossible things, not only had it but she could also made him present it to her on a silver platter, wrapped in a big red bow for her to break or shatter. For a boy who always made sure that he would be in control, who struggled to always be the one with power because only then could he keep everything that was important to him safe, it is the biggest fear of all.

To be at the mercy of someone.

To be at the position where all you can do is believe.

It was so pathetically ironic that he felt disgusted with him self…and yet…

_A flash of amber._

_A ripple of words._

_Lips curving into a gentle smile._

"_Found you."_

…and yet, out of the billions of people in Japan, the millions of people in Tokyo, the thousands of people in the academy, the hundreds of students in their class she showed up one day…and found him.

There _must_ be something in that.

"Is it too cold?"

Natsume shook his head and took a deep breath, filling his senses with the scent of ylang ylang and lavender, he was beginning to be an expert in aromatherapy since Mikan made a habit of shoving bottles into his hands. Both of them were in the kitchen, with him naked but for his boxers, on a stool and Mikan hovering over him, a wash cloth in her hands and a big bowl of warm water on the table. After a half hearted fight from Natsume who just wanted to jump into a hot bath just as he was, he agreed that at least he should wipe the mess off first.

Mikan knew Natsume was dead on his feet when he didn't even sneer at her when she suggested a sponge bath, the last time Natsume passed an opportunity like that was when he fell unconscious and ended up with his face crushing her breasts.

She touched the wash cloth to the nape of his neck and squeeze, letting rivulets of warm water slid down the skin of his back where scars, cuts and bruises joined together in some horrendous form of artwork. She closed her eyes tightly until she was sure they were dry before tracing her way along his shoulders where muscles knotted and ached. She concentrated on running the wash cloth on his shoulder blades, rubbing gently where it bruised, skimming over the cuts as she wiped the blood away.

Rub. Skim. Rub. Skim. Dip cloth in water. Squeeze lightly and repeat.

She ignored the way Natsume focused his eyes on her face when she stood in front of him and worked on his front. She touched his right shoulder gently as she worked on his left to make him sit up. She knew he was thinking about something and that that something had something to do with her but had not found the words just, yet. She also had a pretty good guess what it was about anyway.

But now, that didn't matter. All that mattered now was to clean him up so he could relax and sleep without dreams. That's not so much to ask, right?

Natsume sighed when warm water slid on his ribs that were starting to throb, it wasn't broken but it still hurt like a son of a bitch but between the warmth, the scents, the soothing touch and the sounds of trickling water that filled the welcoming dark once in a while, he was tempted to forget about a bath and nod off there and then, or better yet, leaned heavily against Mikan and sleep.

Mikan smiled at the soft disgruntle sound that came from Natsume's throat when she lifted his face, for once relaxed and looked his age. She touched the warm cloth against his forehead, the bridge of his nose, his cheekbones, his ears and the long, clean line of his neck. Mikan thought if Natsume could purr, he would but that thought and the smile disappeared when she finally noticed that Natsume was watching her from half closed eyelids. She never could resist his eyes for its intensity and because she always felt that it was trying to tell her something about its owner; his feelings, his thoughts. Tonight, those strangely colored eyes were particularly transparent but for the life of her, she couldn't quite figure out what it was she saw in them that bothered her.

It was wrong. It was wrong for him to have her here, tending to him like this. What was he to her anyway? It was wrong for her to still be here even after she saw him do some of the worst things that a human being can do to his own kind.

Natsume's paranoid and insecurities reared its ugly head, he spent too long hating himself, thinking of the worst of himself that any show of kindness was met with suspicion. But this time, this time, it was not just suspicion that had him draw back from her, not just his paranoia but pride and self preservation because, in his twisted mind, the only reason of why she was still here, why she was touching him even when she couldn't quite meet his eyes was because she pitied him.

Pity was just something he would ever accept. Not from anyone, especially from her. A hot wave of anger swept over him, warming him and it felt..liberating somehow that he hugged it to him. "You should leave."

She dipped the dirty cloth into the tainted water and squeeze lightly. "I will."

He watched as the shadows rippled over her face and it ripped at him; her kindness, her capacity for compassion suffocate him sometimes even when he became to depend upon it. The thoughts that swirled inside his weaken mind disgusted him, thoughts like that as long as she thought he was suffering, she will never leave him. He felt a sick, twisted kind of satisfaction when he saw her approach him with worried eyes and gentle hands every time he was hurt, every time he got home from missions. It almost made the pain worth it, made the hours he spent scrubbing the blood of his skin and his body….

Natsume tore his eyes from her face, his breathing grew heavy with his anger and self hatred, remembering the expression on her face when he peeled off his uniform that stuck to his skin because of the blood. Before he always made sure that he came to her clean, calm, his emotions in check, but today, she didn't just see the blood but also where the blood came from, saw the way he did not hesitate, did not falter. Saw how unfeeling he was, how he did not regret the lost of life. Saw how much of a monster he could be.

Now she'll always see the blood on him, smell it on him when he came close and he knew he won't be able to face it. Not now, not when she's so close that he had to grip his knees so he couldn't do what he wanted to do the minute he realized she was there.

To hold her.

To crush her.

To wrap himself around her.

To fill himself with only her until the whole world fade away.

"Go now." He whispered between gritted teeth. He knew she sensed the change in him, she was always so..in touch with emotions. It showed in the way her shoulders tensed, the way she unintentionally grip the cloth that water trickled against her fingertips to the floor. When she continued to stand there, her eyes on the cloth she was holding, he released his throbbing knees and pushed her, pushed her when he wanted so much to pull her closer. "_Now_."

She still didn't lift her eyes, her lips opened but it took a minute before a question slipped out. "Why?"

"I don't want you here."

"Why?"

"Does it really matter?"

"Yes."

"Why are _you _here?" He threw the question like an accusation.

Her eyes flickered towards him but came back to her hands and moved even lower to the wet spot on the floor. The fact that she was so...afraid or disgusted...or whatever that she couldn't meet his eyes was salt on an already hurting wound.

"What do you mean?"

Natsume fisted his hands. He wanted her to look straight at him, to reassure him, to laugh at him, to comfort him but instead...she stalled, as if she was trying to figure out what to say.

"Never mind. Just go away." He didn't know why he was so angry or which out of the two of them he was angrier with. He just felt so angry...and she was giving him a reason to be angry so he took it. He turned his back on her and moved towards the bathroom. " I don't want you here. You better not be here when I come back."

"You disgust me."

He paused, unsure if it was just his ears playing tricks on him. But the ragged low whisper came through loud and clear in the silence of the room like thunder.

"You heard me.You _disgust _me."

Natsume turned, slowly. He pivoted on the balls of his feet, his knees bent slightly as if he reading himself for an attack. _Was that really her? Did she really say that?_

He felt his stomach dropped and his lungs constrict. His slightly bent knees trembled when his drowning mind came to the conclusion that it was her. That she _did _say the words that he suspected but never really thought would ever really heard. All the pain and hardship he had to go through was nothing compared to the pain that was slowly eating away at his insides, at his heart and at that time, he hated her for having that kind of power over him, that she was able to weaken him simply by words.

At least, he wanted to hate her. But he didn't. He couldn't. And wasn't that the problem?

Natsume didn't know that he lost himself so much that everything that he felt showed in his face, his eyes, his body language. Mikan finally lifted her eyes, met his...and like what Natsume did at the afternoon, delivered the killing blow with unnerving accuracy.

Time stretched to an eternity for Natsume as he felt the heat in Mikan's eyes and when she opened her mouth, he wanted to close his eyes, his ears, to block her out but masochistically, he merely stared at her with pain filled eyes and waited for his world to crash down on him.

And like always, she didn't disappoint.

"I _hate _you."

It was as if all of his senses numbed in one second and then turn hypersensitive in another. The scene in front of his eyes tilted and his ears rung with her words. Natsume squeezed his eyes against the overwhelming mess of whatever it was that raged inside of him and when he felt his body trembled, he staggered towards the bathroom where he threw himself on the toilet bowl and retched.


	13. The Characters We Play

EXODUS

Chapter Thirteen: The Characters We Play

A/N: I know…you all want to kill me…yes…yes…I understand completely…dodging kunai's and knives. Yes, I deserve to be punished for making you all wait for so long…running for my life from the mob that chases me

He felt weak.

Cold sweat plastered his raven hair on his forehead, covering the rest of his face that hadn't disappear behind his folded hands as he leaned against the bathtub. His breath was still ragged and to his frustration, his hands shook.

His expression twisted in disgust at his reflection.

After a bout of dry heaving, he had crawled to the bathtub to wash the acrid taste out of his mouth, but there it still remained and he had a niggling suspicion that it will linger for an uncomfortable length of time.

_Oh, if they could see me now._

He thought that he couldn't feel any worse but his stomach did a slow turn and his aching limbs tensed when he heard someone open the bathroom door. His lungs clenched painfully as he came to the realization that it can only be her.

_Why is she still here?_

The sound of her steps was enough to breach the fortress of silence that he hid behind and once again he was reminded of what caused his current distress.

It was unbelievable that a package so harmless can carry something so dangerous within.

_Oh, if they only knew._

Natsume resisted the urge to look at her and remain where he was. He tried to be as silent as he could, as unmoving as he knew he could, maybe if he could do that he would also be untouched by the rage of emotions that were starting to fight their way into his blissful numbness.

It had always been like this even from the very start.

Everytime.

It was impossible for him _not_ to feel whenever she was near. Even from the very start, Sakura Mikan can make him miserable or happy or something in between simply by her existence alone.

_But no more._

_No more_, he demanded. He gathered his fingers into fists when his conviction echoed its way into his hollow heart.

Something flash at the corner of his eyes and reflex made him shift his eyes towards it. Bitterness threatened to swallow him when he identified the flash came from a glass of water that she was holding out to him.

_What the fuck is she…?_

Strength came back into his limbs as anger seared and suffocated him at the sight of it. It wasn't the gesture that had him steamed, it was the silent look on her face that finally pushed him over the edge. His voice was brittle and hoarse, it hurt, but he welcomed it. "I thought I told you to go."

He saw the way her fingertips tighten around the glass but she pushed on. "And I said I will. After."

She flinched when he raised heated eyes towards her face and the dark satisfaction it gave Natsume showed in the ironic twist of his lips. It was childish, immature, something he knew he wouldn't hesitate to do a couple of years ago but damn, it felt so good.

The sound of broken glass echoed in the acoustics of the bathroom as it scattered all around the floor, and he saw the way Mikan's eyes followed the spinning pieces across the marble floor, her hand still suspended in the air, even after he managed to raise himself up and passed by her.

His instincts were slow, it always was when it came to her, so he only managed to twist halfway when she did a full body tackle and pinned him to the ground.

He cursed vehemently as his aches and pains made clear that sudden moves like that was not welcomed, a lump at the back of his head where he hit it on the ground joined his others injuries. He opened his eyes to the sound of harsh breathing and the feeling of warm hands on his shoulders.

"You are not going to do this again, you hear me? I won't have it!"

Natsume met fierce amber eyes that drilled onto his. Their position was vaguely familiar and he remembered that she was also yelling at him back then.

_She won't have it?_ He bared his teeth at her. "Get the fuck off me."

She bared her teeth right back at him. "Not until you hear me out."

He kept his hands fisted at his side, afraid of what he'd do if he actually touched her. His voice lowered dangerously, showing her that he meant every word. "Move or I will _make_ you move."

She leaned down closer to him and narrowed her eyes. The stubbornness hardened her jaw and gave an unholy light in her eyes. "Go ahead and try."

He thought about it, oh, how he thought about it. He considered on what kind of maneuver he'd use, various scenarios flitted across his fevered brain. He was spoiling for a fight and she opened the field wide open for him but before he could do anything, Mikan shook his shoulders and he hissed as a stinging pain rippled across his muscles.

"I am _not_ going to let you indulge in your bout of self hate, okay. You are going to stop it, right _now_!" The fed up tone in Mikan's voice rubbed at Natsume's pride. "Who the hell are you to tell me that?"

"Who the hell am I? I'm the one whose about to smack some sense into you."

He sneered at her and he could see she took it the way he wanted her to when flecks of gold came to the surface in Mikan's eyes. "You think you can?"

"Hell yeah!"

Natsume scoffed. "You really think you can take me?"

"Why not?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because I've got years of experience on you and all this time you've never even beaten me once."

Mikan's fierce look took on a cocky one. "Well, I'm not the one pinned to the floor now, am I?"

Natsume lifted an eyebrow as he observed the smirk on Mikan's face. "True, but then again, things change." He relaxed his shoulder and braced.

Mikan didn't even have a chance to blink before she found herself flat on her back. She let out a little growl when she realized that Natsume was already on his feet above her.

"Oh, no you don't." Mikan scissored her legs against Natsume's, messing up his balance but his superior reflex made him curl his upper body and he executed a flawless roll, he was back on his feet a second later in a low crouch. He dodged Mikan's kick that managed to barely graze his left shoulder and swept Mikan's feet from under her. She made a sound of frustration when once again she landed on her back but before Natsume could pin her, she thrust out both her legs and used the momentum to flip herself back on her feet. She gritted her teeth when Natsume appeared on her back and grasped her wrist in a painful angle.

She blew out a disgruntled breathe and tried to twist her hand but Natsume held fast."Don't move."

Natsume tightened his hold on her when she lowered herself, trying to get leverage but he pulled her up and closer. "I _said _don't move."

She wiggled in front of him, still trying to twist her arms away from his, her hair brushed against his face and her scent filled his nostrils. The sensation of her soft skin and hair against his naked chest was damn distracting.

Natsume snapped back at attention when he heard her stifled a cry of pain and before he knew it, he loosened his whole…and ended up on the floor…again. His throat thrummed with a growl of frustration that hitched when she appeared in his line of sight. It wasn't the look on her face that gnawed on his insides along with humiliation and anger, this time it was the way she slid up against him, the oblivious way she pressed herself against his chest and the result it got from his body.

He didn't want to feel that way.

He didn't want to respond to her nearness.

He didn't want her so close…so close and yet unreachable.

He glared at the victorious look on her face though anger was still there. "You cheated." He threw those words like an insult, referring to the way she oh, so slyly faked a cry of pain.

"You said it yourself, a win is still a win."

He never thought there would come a day when he'd feel irritated because she paid attention but he did, _extremely_. He narrowed his eyes at her. "If you put it that way."

Mikan didn't have a chance, she should've known really, this was Natsume beneath her, not Yuu or Ruka and Natsume never did have qualms about doing whatever it was that needed to be done. But even if she did, even if she _could_ read his mine, she never would've guessed that Natsume would be that desperate…or as crass as to actually do it…but then again, this was Natsume underneath her.

Mikan stiffened when she felt his palm slipped under her shirt, slid along her ribs and rested lightly…a mere inch under her left breast.

"You wouldn't."

Natsume's blank face didn't tell her anything, he merely flicked his eyes towards the hand that was pressing slightly on his wind pipe, telling her without words to let him go…or else.

It was a stand off.

Hesitation was mirrored in her eyes, but she lifted her chin. "If you just list-eeep."

Mikan pull back sharply when Natsume's hand slid up and firmly palmed her bra covered breast, her hands across his breast. She stared at him in disbelief but he merely sat up with a bored look on his face though his movements were jerky and tense.

"That was low, even for you." She said spitefully.

His movements still just for a second before he lifted himself up. "A win is a win."

Temper, frustration, embarrassment and exasperation washed Mikan's dwindling and 'not much there to begin with' reason, he always did manage to push her buttons unlike anybody else. She knew it was a bad idea to provoke Natsume but damn it, she was sick of his attitude. Her searching hands found the thing she was looking for and she flung it at him.

Natsume found himself drenched from head to toe with freezing cold water, to add insult to injury, something also hit his back with a wet, full bodied sound that grated on his already frayed nerves. For a moment, he merely stood there and watched the now empty plastic bowl clattered on the ground but a second later, his anger reared its ugly head and he snapped towards her….but can only winced when a hand slapped at his shoulder.

"You are such an idiot! Why do you keep doing this to yourself? Why-?" She let a sound of exasperation and slapped at his shoulder again.

If it was somebody else, if it wasn't her, Natsume would've already bitten that person's head off but in his current mood, he would've fought her…if not for the hurt that slipped out of the anger. Confused of the reason since he was sure he had more reason to be angry and hurt, he took her little slaps on his chest even as she had him against a wall, his eyes glued to her face.

But he resisted when she grasped his shoulders and shook him. "Stop it."

He clenched both of her wrists and yelled at her to stop since to his shock, he was sure that Mikan was on the verge of being hysterical. "For Kami's sake, ojou. Be quiet! You want to wake the whole academy?"

All the anger and bitterness that Natsume felt vanished when Mikan slid down to her knees, her wrists still in Natsume's hold, her head down, her body language defeated. Her sadness and anxiety was a visible wave that pulsed in the air and Natsume was at lost to what caused it. He released her hands and joined her on the floor, watched as she clenched her hands into fist at her side, her face hidden underneath her long, long hair which was weird in itself.

She wasn't the type to hide her feelings whether it was sadness or anger.

"Mikan…"

She turned her head to the side, hiding her face in the shadows. It struck him that the gesture was more him than her but he shrugged the thought away and tentatively reached for her hand. When she shifted away, the sharp pang in his heart reminded him of her words before, the words that to his disbelief, he'd forgotten at the midst of their fight. But the hurt, anger and bitterness gave way to weariness. He already went through too many fights, too many struggles that he didn't want to taint what's left of their..connection so he leaned away from her with his back against the wall.

Bone tired, he finally understood why they called it that as his weariness changed into surrender.

"If you hate me so much that being with me brings you to tears…then why don't you just go?"

"It wasn't-"

At her protest, Natsume shifted his eyes to her but again, she turned away. And that hurt more than it should have.

"It's okay for you to hate me or be afraid of me. That's normal. You don't have to feel guilty about it." He glanced away so she couldn't see how hard it was for him to maintain his expression. "I'm used to it anyway."

"That's just it." The words burst out of her as if she could no longer contain it. "That's just it, Natsume."

Her voice throbbed with emotion and, his stomached dropped, with tears. Slowly, so slowly he turned and met her big, mournful eyes.

Pain, gut wrenching sorrow and a bitter kind of helplessness was mirrored back at him.

"You're not _supposed_ to be used to it!" She brought her clenched fist to her tear drenched eyes. "Why can't you just trust me?"

Natsume shook out of his confusion and stared at her. "What are you talking about? Of course I trust you."

Her eyes zoomed onto his face. "Oh? Then how come when I told you that I hate you and that you disgust me you didn't fight it? Why did you just accept it like that?"

Shock turned into confusion again.

"If you trust me, you wouldn't have pushed me away. If you trust me, you should've known that I was lying when I said that."

The first one, he could understand, it was the second one that got him lost. Wasn't it because he trusted her, he took her words as truth rather than a lie?

But the sheer illogical argument gave him hope. "So you don't hate me?"

"Of course not, you idiot!"

Relief, huge and overwhelming washed over him but experience made him cautious. "Then why did you say it?"

Accusing eyes met his. "Isn't that what you wanted? What you expected?"

Natsume closed his mouth, speechless.

His silence told her she was right and once again she hit his shoulder, this time with a closed fist in sheer exasperation. "Why do you always do that? How can you think that?"

"We love you. We trust you. We look up at you. Why can't you believe it?"

Hurt swirled inside of amber, brighten by tears, darkened by emotions. "We're your friends, we stayed beside you, we hurt when you hurt, we smile when you smile but you always, always doubt us, question our loyalty, our feelings."

"I never-"

"What? You never what?" She lashed out at him. "We are not stupid, Natsume. I am not stupid. Maybe I am naïve compared to you, and I am, sometimes, oblivious but I am not stupid. You think I don't see the way you look at me with careful eyes, as if I'll betray you or think the worse of you every time you come back from a mission? I try to be patient and I try to understand and I try to make it clear to you that I care. We all do."

"But you don't feel it, don't you? All the things that we do…it's not enough, isn't it?" Numbed, Natsume merely stared as a tear trickled down her cheek. Lonely, unbelievably sad.

"I'm not enough, am I?"

Heart sick, Natsume could only do one thing and it was fortunate that it was the one thing he'd wanted to do ever since he saw her in his room, alone in the dark, waiting for him.

He dragged her into his arms, held her like she was the one thing that he wanted in this whole wide world and felt something distant inside himself, unfurl and opened up. Her anguished sobs echoed around them and twisted Natsume's stomach.

He was good with words, he could use them to lie, to intimidate, to twist the truth and use it to his advantage but none of those skills are useful now because he never learn to use words to comfort, to tell little white lies or say sweet things.

He pulled her closer as if he could meld their bodies together while he willed the hurt, the pain away from her. He held her tight, pressed his cheek against her wet one, combed his fingers through her hair with broad, gentle strokes and whispered her name over and over again as if it was a prayer. And it was in a way because her whispered name carried the weight of his feelings. It weaved in and out of the letters and was filled to the brim with affection and love, more than he'd know what to do with.

There, in her name was his heart laid bare.

It said that she is not only enough.

She is more.

She is all.

She is everything.

And though Mikan didn't hear the words that he desperately wanted to be able to say, she felt it in his gentleness, she felt his love and his regret in hurting her, so she clung to him, equally desperate, and let him comfort her because she knew him well enough to know that he needed it.

She knew for them to be okay again, he needed to make it right, needed to fix what he did wrong.

So she let him hold her while she hold him back.


	14. Normal is Overrated

**EXODUS**

**Chapter Fifteen: Normal is Overrated**

**A/N: Sorry for the delay, somehow, I have problems logging in. Anyway, Stay tuned cause after this, it's going to be action packed. I did mention that this story is a younger, longer version of my other story Into You, I Go right? So there are similarities between the two stories **

**The first part, I wrote while listening to Angela Aki's You Love Song...which is just...lovely...I love her voice! **

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Natsume never felt particularly blood thirsty though he would be the first to admit that he was no pacifist. It had nothing to do with what he did for a living and more about how he was. He didn't have the blood thirst that some of the dangerous ability seems to develop over the years and Kami-sama knows that he was prone to violent outburst when his temper spiked but other than that, as long as there was no threat to him and his, under the circumstance, he considered himself pretty easy going.

Most of the time.

But when an all too familiar voice that had no right to be so cheerful chirped in his ear, he felt a sudden violent impulse to hurt somebody.

Punishment be damned.

The only thing that saved the person from heinous pain was the sole fact that it _was_ familiar, though that fact did not lessen the pounding headache pulsing behind his aching and tired eyes.

Natsume hated nothing more to be woken up from a good, restful sleep, rare that it was.

As a result, a grumpy hand slid out of the covers and without so much as a by your leave, shoved the person that was sitting at the edge of his bedside, the small, petty side of him gave a grunt of satisfaction when he heard the offended –eep- and the heavy thump that followed before drifting off again.

He grumbled when something poked at his ribs and curled his body inside the warm protection of his thick blanket to derive the enemy of a larger area to attack but huffed out an aggravated breath when that only seem to provoke his opposition to apply a much more persistent method aka 'jump on the bed with excessive movements' which through experience, Natsume knew could go on and on and on.

Exhausted, pissed off and annoyed as he was, he couldn't help the small upward twitch of his lips at the whole normality of it.

When his opponent decided to deafen him, make him nauseous and through repetitive motion throw him off the bed, he decided, enough was enough. With a small motion of his feet, he tangled her jumping feet with the blankets, resulting in a surprise screech as she lost her balanced but it was with a small laugh that she dug her elbows on his ribs when he miraculously caught and tangled her inside the cocoon of his blanket alongside with him.

Bright amber eyes narrowed at the way his arms snaked around her but she appreciated the warmth they presented in the unnaturally cool summer morning. She pulled on the edges of his raven hair. "You're going to be late."

Natsume merely nuzzled the crook of her neck, breathing deep like she was a big, fluffy, teddy bear. _For a guy that likes his privacy and personal space, he never did learn to respect others, especially mine_, Mikan thought.

She moved her left shoulder, jostling Natsume's cheek. "Hey, come on. Wake up."

A fake light snore erupted from Natsume and Mikan had to stifle a grin. She twisted her upper body to move but he held fast. "Natsume-kun. Wake up. We have class."

"It's still early."

"We're having breakfast."

"How long does it take it slap on a sandwich?" He mumbled against her collar.

"I think we need more than a sandwich." When Natsume still didn't budge, she pinched his arm but he didn't even flinch. "Natsume, they're gonna be here any minute now."

His brow wrinkled. "They?"

She felt his body tense and she winced inwardly, she knew he wasn't going like it. "Everyone wanted to know how you were. They were worried."

Natsume could actually feel anxious vibes flowing from her as her little fingers fluttered on his arms. The anxiety was there in her eyes, but the set of her jaw was as stubborn as ever.

Her eyes met him straight on and he still couldn't get over the fact at how clear they were, how he couldn't see even a shadow of doubt, a flicker of fear or distrust.

As a person, as a friend, he felt gratified.

As someone who'd been in love with her for more years than he'd like to admit, he felt pleased.

As someone who saw and did his share of the unspeakable, he felt a somewhat sweet disbelief, humbled by her trust.

As a hot blooded boy, he felt a little bit insulted by how unguarded she was with him.

When Natsume merely stared at her with those intense eyes of his, her heart fluttered to life. There was always something about his eyes that touched her. "Are you angry?"

The question conveyed in a sweet, little voice and her big amber eyes did nothing for the awareness that suddenly simmered inside of Natsume, as always when with her, divided between being a friend and a boy.

Between being the protector and the hunter.

His crafty mind already figured out a way to give him what he wanted.

He settled his face into careful lines. "No."

She frowned, a hint of vulnerability peeked through her eyes. Although she wasn't the type to always succumb to demands and to give up without a fight, she hated fighting against her friends and for reasons she couldn't really explain, it hurt more than she can bear when it was Natsume she was fighting with. "You _are_."

A part of him hated to use her character against her, but really, another part of him enjoyed it, liking how she cared enough that he is able to use it against her. Twisted and perverse, yes, but it doesn't make it less true. "I'm not."

She sat up and threw the covers off of her and he just realized that she had her hair down, it slid down her shoulder towards her back, its edges curled around her arms. He squinted against the light and waited for his eyes to adjust before propping up on his elbow. "I'm not."

His sneaky plan, the game and all his thoughts disappeared under the serious weight of her eyes when she gazed down at him. "They need to see that you're okay. And you need to see them so you'll feel okay."

_There she goes_, he thought, _she can make you deaf with talks about flowers and cookies and when you think you got her pegged, she surprises you with saying things like that._

"You're right."

Expecting a disagreement, she blinked. "I am?"

Natsume faced her, his head propped on a fist, a look of amusement in his eyes at her surprise. "There's always a first time for everything." When she pouted at him, the look deepen then changed into simple bafflement when a simple smile of understanding appeared on her face.

There were moments, moments where Natsume would feel as though there couldn't possibly be any other time when he'd feel happier, sadder, more scared or more grateful for what he had or what he'd experienced.

This time, this exact second, Natsume never felt so full with what he'd come to learn as love that his chest ached with it and the fear that he felt last night returned because he also never felt more vulnerable or more unprotected that the fighter inside him warred against it and lost.

Scientists say that love is mere chemistry, but even they couldn't explain the lengths in which people would go just to have a mere glimpse of it.

And as logical as he was, Natsume couldn't really rationalize that what he felt was just a reaction of chemistry or hormones. He felt something inside him reached out towards her like an invisible hand and he didn't know whether it was because she felt the pull or because she felt he needed it that she tilted her head down.

It felt like a dream and there was no anxiety, nerves or any constricting thoughts. It needed no effort, no force or calculations.

When she touched her lips to his it felt as if it has always been and always were.

Their lips barely met, barely moved before their breaths mingled in a sigh.

It was not a kiss; it was something less and more.

Eyes closed, their foreheads met and without plan, both of them moved their faces to the side, grazed their cheeks together and rested their heads on each others shoulder in a gesture as sweet as it was meaningful.

It said that, 'yes, we're okay'.

_We are alright._

They stayed in that position until Mikan finally remembered why she was there in the first place and renewed her efforts but Natsume merely pushed her away and played dead under the covers.

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Natsume's stomach was in knots when the whole pack settled inside his room. It didn't help that they appeared when he was in the midst of a heated tug of war over his blankets with Mikan and that he was still only in his pajama bottoms.

His sharp eyes tried to catch and discern any type of emotion that showed in their faces.

They were shaking.

But to Natsume consternation and relief, they were shaking not because of disgust or fear but from restrained laughter.

Relieved though he was, he still objected to be laughed at, especially since he saw nothing to be laughed at…but himself.

"What?"

It was Ruka who grinned at him. "I've heard of bed hair but that is ridiculous."

This trembling comment was met with a burst of laughter and the group reached out, holding each other up, tried not to collapse over the force of their laughter. Natsume, confused, caught his reflection on the stem of the metallic lamp beside his bed and froze.

His raven locks were mussed, tangled and parted in three different tufts but that wasn't what caught his attention, it was the three rainbow colored glittery ribbons that was tied to the longer hair on the back of his head that did it.

He turned, ever so slowly to look at the only possible culprit who merely stared guilelessly back at him.

"I especially like the red one, Natsume-kun."

The others choked since Natsume's eyes were gleaming, and not because of Hotaru's camera blitz either. The sentence created a series of winces, groans and murmurs that ran along the lines of 'oh, she did not just say that'.

Luckily, Natsume's eyes were all for Mikan whom showed know guilt or fear whatsoever, instead, she smiled on. To add insult over injury and before Natsume decided on what to do to her, she batted her eyelashes. "It matches your eyes."

To the pack, both of them looked like a blur of color when Mikan whooped and ran for her life the second Natsume made a grab for her. They craned their heads when Natsume and Mikan ran into the bathroom, at the sound of muffled laughter, screeches and sounds of grappling, they looked at each other, shrugged and parted to their favorite corners of the room.

They looked up from whatever they were doing at the sound of a cackle, the sound of the shower turned on and the howl of fury that followed.

"Dammit, ojou. That's cold."

"Oh, boo hoo, Natsume."

Mikan stepped out of the bathroom and with a smug look on her impish face she announced that Natsume's taking a shower.

It was as if nothing happened, if one ignored Koko's black eye and the sling around his shoulder that is, not to mention the sullen look on his face. He looked as if he wanted to say something but every time he opened his mouth, he flinched as if someone kicked him under the table, Natsume bet it was Yuu since Hotaru, who sat on Koko's left wouldn't bother with something so subtle.

Natsume, as always, prefers to just get on with it. Band-aid approach.

"He already has a broken arm, no need to add a broken leg to his list."

Koko and Yuu, who have been exchanging warning and moody glances, started.

Natsume put his napkin on the table and just like that, conversation ceased. "How's your arm?"

Koko shrugged with his good shoulder. "Healing." And although it took a lot of effort on his part, Koko's eyes met Natsume's. "I'm sorry."

Surprised but cautious, Natsume his time drinking his juice. "For what?"

Koko's eyes shifted to Mikan who scowled back at the mind reader, clearly a sore topic for her, but Koko's usually bland eyes shifted to Natsume. "Because he got to Mikan."

Natsume met Mikan's eyes who rolled hers and said. "For the last time, Koko. It's not your fault."

"I'm sure you tried your best." Yuu assured the mind reader but Koko ignored them and only looked at Natsume.

"Iinchiro's right. It's not your fault." Natsume sat back and lifted a hand when Koko's expression turned mutinous. "It's her fault."

Mikan jerked her head at him. "I'm sorry?"

"Apology accepted."

Koko almost smiled at the poor attempt of humor and the affronted look on Mikan's face.

"Natsume-kun. _How_ is it my fault?"

Natsume gave her an 'oh, please' look. "If you were more vigilant like I told you, you could've nullified the transporter Alice and you would've never got caught."

Since she couldn't find any rebuttal for that, she settled for crossing her arms and pout.

Natsume laced his fingers together and shot a look to Koko who immediately sat up on his seat. "If I do want to blame you for something, I would blame you for fighting him."

The overall stunned reaction was expected. "But Natsume-"

"I told you all before and I'll tell you again. If they catch you, do not fight. Do not play hero. For them a resisting Alice is better off dead, do you hear me?"

"You can't just expect us to-"

"Yes, I can and I will." He shot them looks, except for Hotaru who was munching calmly on her crab salad. "To them, you are a merchandise, goods, tools. A bad merchandise is either thrown over or recycled. If you look like too much of a bother, they will kill you."

"What good am I if I can't even protect my friends?"

"What good are you when you end up dead?" Natsume threw back, ignoring the wince on Yuu's, Anna's and Nonoko's face.

"If I don't protect them, who will?"

"I will." Natsume sat back again. "That's why I'm here. It's my job."

"Why can't it be mine?"

"Because you weren't train for it."

He knew he stepped into a trapped when Koko's eyes gleamed. _Sneaky bastard. _"So, if I'm saying I want to train, you'll do it?"

"Do what?"

"Train me."

Except for Natsume and Hotaru, everybody else jumped at the sudden noise.

Someone banged on the table.

It was Mikan.

Everybody stared at her. "I think we're all full, aren't we?"

"I'm not." But Hotaru was cheerfully ignored as she hustled them away from the table with smiles and cheerful gestures. "Natsume after all needs his beauty rest."

Anna frowned when Mikan ushered her from the kitchen. "I think it's beauty sleep."

"I don't need beauty anything. And I thought we have class.."

"I'm sure the teachers won't mind you sleep in considering what happened yesterday."

Mochu snorted. "Why should they? They've never minded before."

"Come on, guys. Chop chop."

Koko fought against her shoving. "But Mikan-"

The bright and cheerful tone of her voice turned low and threatening as she stared at him from over his shoulder. "Stay here and you'll end up doing the dishes."

Koko shut his mouth.

"Hey, look at the time-"

"Got some cookies in the oven."

"I think I have a meeting…somewhere."

"It's my shift at the stables."

"I just don't want to do the dishes."

Hotaru didn't even bother to offer up an excuse, didn't think she had to anyway and was the first to march out the door.

Natsume merely stared in amusement as they shuffled their feet, all smiles and good cheer towards the door with Mikan pushing them out. Too late, he realized that she was also following them out and as he stood there staring at the mayhem of his kitchen table, he cursed her bouncing ponytails. "Can't believe I fell for it."

"Mikan! Ow." Koko batted the hand that was pulling on his ear. But she merely huffed and glared at the mind reader. "I told you not to talk about it, didn't I? I told you not to push it."

Koko rubbed on his ear and sulked. "I didn't promise I would now, didn't I?"

"Then promise me now that you won't bother him about this." Her amber eyes shifted to all of her friends faces. "All of you."

Yuu shuffled his feet. "Well,"

"No. No, well's, or if's or..or's. Promise me."

When they only stared at her, she frowned at them and tried to look at least 2/3 as intimidating as Natsume but only succeeded to look like an enraged chipmunk. When their lips quirk into a smile, she gave up.

"He's already so busy and he rarely has time for himself. Between school and missions, and trainings and whatever else they have him doing, he doesn't have time to train us." Mikan bit her lip, her eyes big and pleading. "And I don't want him, too."

Koko wrinkled his brow. "Why not? If he train us we would be able to help…"

Mikan sighed, her face contorted with trying to explain. Helpless, she slid her gaze to someone who knows her and to someone who knows Natsume.

Ruka nodded to her. "Koko, you should know of all people, how he feels. All of you know, especially after yesterday, the things he has to deal with, the things he has to do. He doesn't want us to be anywhere near that, he already feels like he's endangering us just by being our friend. He's always been like that. He doesn't need our help. He certainly doesn't want it."

Mikan caught the underlining bitterness and opened her mouth to comfort but Hotaru beat her to it. "How can you help?"

Or not.

Ruka's blue eyes shifted to Hotaru. "What?"

Hotaru's cool violet eyes eyed them one by one; calm, collected. "How can you help? If it's a matter of training or knowing how to defend yourself you don't need Natsume, just take a few after school martial arts class."

Koko blinked. "That's not the point-"

"That's precisely the point, at least it's Mikan's, isn't it?" Hotaru who stood a couple of distance from them, stepped closer. "He couldn't do any better than the instructors, really." She continued before they can cut her off. "Except for the killing part."

Hotaru tilted her head, as if she was asking something ordinary, casual. "Unless, of course, that's what you want to learn. Is it?"

"Of course not-"

"Then you should just stick with the instructors because the only thing that he can teach you is how to kill, how to neutralize the enemy as fast and as ruthless as you can because that is what he does. Are you guys ready to kill?"

"This is not about-." Yuu fiddled with his glasses. "He always had to protect us, even from the academy, and he's still protecting us. Isn't it about time we do our share?"

In the silence of that question, Mikan faced her friends, her honey colored hair fluttered in the wind, her young face, serious. "Natsume needs to protect us. We are his family, his friends. In here, we are all that he has, the reason why he is here at all. It's what keeps him fighting, keeps him from not caring whether he would come home or not." Mikan stared out of her big amber eyes. "Protecting us gives him purpose. It makes him feel useful. Do you really want to take that away from him?"

Ruka's shoulder slumped, as well as the others. "But, we want to help."

"Then just be here for him. Greet him every time he comes home. If we are happy and safe, he will also feel happy and safe. That's how he works. That's how he is. You of all people know that, Ruka-pyon."

Ruka's blue eyes warmed at the old nickname. "It's hard."

She smiled at him and at the others. "Yes, it's hard." She touched his hand and looked at the others. "But when you care about someone, you try. Especially when it's hard, don't you think?"

Hotaru smiled while the others blinked at the unexpected wisdom..

Koko met Mikan's eyes. "Yes, we do."

A couple seconds ticked by as they walked towards each other's room to prepare for class before Koko piped up. "You do realize that we just left Natsume with the dirty dishes, right?"

The room occupants that were still asleep behind their closed doors woke up with a start when giggles erupted in the hallways.


	15. RUN

**EXODUS**

**Chapter Fifteen: RUN**

A/N: Give some claps for my beta reader, huh? Stardrop, own you lots. Thanks you so much...!!!

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Mikan breathed against the stitch at her side and concentrated on moving her feet. She ignored the pain in her chest just as she ignored the stinging cuts on her skin.

She called herself every inch of a fool for coming out on this particular night. She slid along the shadows of a tree, tried to slow her heartbeat that was beating a bruise on her ribs, and took a long look of her surroundings. Nothing, but air breathed against the dancing dark, but she'd been around Natsume too much not to trust her instincts.

And her instinct was screaming for her to haul her ass out of there.

_Was it dangerous abilities? Were they training in these parts of the woods?_

Natsume always warned them when they were, but then again, he didn't have a lot of time to talk these last few weeks because he was knee deep in missions; he hardly made it into class.

Probably trying to find out about the Alices that breached the Academy's security.

Probably wouldn't be back for sometime, which was why she was antsy, worried, and bored, with too much free time on her hands since she was used to spending one or two hours training with Natsume and it was because of that, she ignored Natsume's warning and the others and went out alone to her ability class. It should have been fine; it wasn't like she was a baby that couldn't go out alone. It was just that her ability class was so far away, out in nowhere.

_Think. Think. Think. What would Natsume do?_

_Well, first of all, he wouldn't be caught dead being in such a vulnerable state._ It was as if thinking about him conjured his face inside her mind, his low firm voice whispering in her ears.

----------

_Natsume jerked her back by the collar, stopping her from ramming herself onto a thick hard tree trunk. Natsume was teaching her the art of free-run in a dark, dense, tricky section of the southern forest, which was why she was dead tired, out of breath, and her feet ached like a throbbing tooth. "Don't use your eyes so much. Focus on three, four steps ahead of you."_

_She grumbled under her breath, but of course, Natsume heard it, and he retaliated by catching a twig and letting go as he passed by. Only Mikan's fast reflex saved her from having it whip across her face._

_Mikan gritted her teeth when Natsume glided pass her, tucking his legs into a run and slid across the uneven land as if he was on skates. Her competitive nature sparked, she marshaled all her energy and focused onto Natsume's broad shoulders. She moved where he moved, jumped where he jumped, stepped where he stepped, twisted and ducked over tangled veins, dead logs and thick branches seconds after he did. Her muscles burned, her heart thickened against her chest, her skin vibrated with exhaustion, but she followed him, mere inches from his back, and more faithful than his shadow._

_Within minutes that stretched on to forever, her muscles felt limber; her body liquid-like as she finally caught his rhythm. She felt the wind whip across her face and streak along her hair as it flowed behind her like a cloak. Laughter bubbled up her throat at the sheer freedom that only speed could give as the forest went by in a smear of greens and browns. Everywhere she stepped the smell of damp earth rose to her nostrils and wrapped around her damp skin._

_So caught up was she that when Natsume stopped, so did she, even before the movement registered in her mind. She blinked, confused, her brain still unconnected with her body._

_When it did, the first thing she saw was Natsume, who stood in front of her, his low, even voice melded with the music of the night as she merely stood quietly, catching her breath. "Well." A small smile curved his lips. "You're not completely useless after all."_

Fueled by the memory, she moved across the forest, her movements fast, controlled, disciplined. She ran amongst thick branches under the umbrella of thick wide leaves, not bothering to look over her shoulder.

Her long legs pushed off the ground with determination, a little voice inside her head that was disturbingly similar to Natsume's urged her to go faster, harder, stronger, her eyes trained to the warm welcoming light at the edges of the forest.

Her stomach muscles clenched when the fine hairs at the back of her neck prickled, telling her that something was ahead waiting. She didn't waste time on hesitating and immediately broke left.

_Mikan bit off a scream when Natsume appeared out of nowhere in front of her. She kicked out a roundhouse kick to upset his balance before diving into a bush and continuing her run. Playing tag was a dangerous game to play when your opponent was Natsume. "When an option is taken from you," she heard him behind her and pressed on, "find another, but stick to something you know."_

_She let out a sound of frustration when she felt a soft pat on her shoulder and heard the mocking sound of laughter. "You're it."_

_Something I know. _Mikan muddled over her choices. _The training ground._ She inched back among the beckoning shadows and the silver tipped trees towards the place where she and Natsume trained.

--------------

She spurred herself faster and leaped over spears of sharp branches right into a thick shrub, hidden by dried out logs. Her ambers eyes peeked through leaves when shadows passed her hiding place with unnerving agility and speed.

Heart in throat, she felt the edges of her skirt with numb fingers, trying to find the secret compartment that she made and swallowed a sigh when she found what she was looking for. Hard, cold, and thick, she clenched it in her hand.

----------

_Mikan stared at the thick pen-like metal on Natsume's hand. "What?"_

_He merely tapped it on her head. "Take it. Always carry it with you." He shook his head when Mikan made a move to put it in her bag. "No. Carry it on your body where you can always easily take it out."_

_She frowned at it, twisting it this way and that. "What am I suppose to do with this? Poke somebody's eye out?"_

_Humor glinted in his eyes. "That should work." He plucked the thing from her fingers. "This is how you use it."_

_------_

Her shoulders tightened when she felt someone near. Taking a deep breath, she centered herself the way he taught her to and prepared herself for what was to come. She perched low, her feet braced to run again, when a shadow slid close, she launched herself to the thickest, treacherous part of the forest.

--------------

_Mikan pushed her back against the rough bark of the tree she was hiding behind. She knew for a fact, she had lost him this time. Smug with her sneakiness, her lips curved into a grin. She shuffled her feet in an unconscious gesture of restlessness. She couldn't wait to rub it in his face. She saw something move at the corner of her eyes...and yelped when she was drenched with freezing water._

_She turned to where she heard the deep low chuckle and saw Natsume leaning not far away, a vine on his hand that, to her consternation, twisted around the tree she was hiding behind. The vine climbed to a branch that was right above her. Its wide large leaves were filled with last night's raindrops._

_"Lesson number 23, __oujo.__ Know the land and memorize it." A subtle twist of his wrist made a fresh rush of freezing water wash over her, gluing her locks to her head. She brushed the water from her face to glower better at Natsume. "…better yet, use it."_

_-------------_

Mikan pumped her legs as she whipped through branches and tangled vines, and broke twigs to make it harder for anyone who was after her to get through. Of course, it was better if she just put a neon sign to mark her pathway, but it wasn't like whoever was chasing her would have trouble in tracking her. The least she could do was to annoy them as much as possible.

---------

_Natsume passed her a bottle of water, as she was unable to move her feet; worn out and dead tired, she barely had enough energy to swallow. She grumbled when Natsume nudged her bare, sore feet. "Listen."_

_His crimson eyes stared down at her from where he was sitting. "Fighting will be the last solution. If you find yourself in a situation, first and foremost, you run and hide. If they find you, you run and hide again."_

And wait for me.

_It wasn't said aloud, but she heard it and knew he meant it._

_She met his eyes, absolute trust mirrored in them. "Okay."_

_-----------_

Mikan brushed across a line of trees where it dropped and piled like bodies. She skidded to a stop, leaped over it, and then pressed herself into its shadows. Catching her breath, she rubbed her fingers on the pen-like contraption. A broken twig snapped her attention to her left. A sharp flick of her wrist made the metal in her hand elongate into a thin metal rod; its length blackened to avoid catching light.

She shivered at the stillness of the night. She twisted and whipped her weapon to swipe at the knife that glinted in the moonlight. She caught her foot in a nearby vine and pulled. A violent curse let her know she achieved her target.

With Natsume's voice rushing inside her head, she ran, hid, and waited.


	16. Lost and Found

**EXODUS**

**Chapter Sixteen: Lost and Found**

Misha Sakurai fought to catch his breath and was both insulted and grateful when Natsume stopped three branches in front of him, even when he didn't have the decency to pretend he was out of breath.

He was slightly ashamed because he knew the sole reason Natsume stopped when he did was because he was waiting for him.

He wiped a hand at the sweat sliding down his throat, his light brown eyes peeked out of his mess of black hair at the figure that seemed to be meld into the darkness and suppressed a shiver of both tension and awe.

Natsume, himself however, was pondering on the lights that used to give him only dread, but was now a welcoming sight.

"Why do you think Persona abandoned us at the middle of our mission?"

Natsume narrowed his eyes but didn't look at the boy who questioned him, he was still young, ten years old if you want to be precise; still much too reckless and brash to ever go for any high risk missions but today Natsume got the short straw. Besides, it was only a recon mission anyway.

Between missions, guard duty and investigating the breach, the dangerous ability was stretched a little thin.

It came to the point that Persona also joined them for the mission but he bailed on them an hour into the mission.

Natsume's brain itched to find out what was important enough for risking Persona's wrath but voicing the curiosity will only encourage the boy. Something that he refused to do.

"Never you mind, Sakurai, That's none of your business."

Misha hunched his shoulders and thumbed his mask up, his sweet countenance made even sweeter by the pout that puckered his lips. Since he was still young enough to be cute, damn if he didn't use it.

It was a lost cause, since Natsume didn't even look at him.

"But aren't you curious?"

He was, naturally, but it was better for the rookie to learn not to poke his nose in anyone's business as soon as possible. He was already obnoxious enough that no senior of any rank wanted to take him, though some had mulled over the option of taking him out.

There was no other choice really; he lied through his teeth. "No."

"You're lying aren't you?" The question throbbed with false bravado, at the very least, Natsume thought, the kid had some sense to actually feel scared when he accused his of lying, unfortunately he didn't have the self restraint to stop before he said it.

A burst of cold breeze brushed over Natsume's damp skin but it wasn't that which made his skin crawl.

Blood was in the air.

He held up a hand, stopping the younger operatives chatter as he lifted off his mask and sniff the air.

A second later both of them crouched low in defense when they sensed some close but relaxed when they saw a familiar blur.

Leo landed in a silent crouch at the tree branch in front of them.

"You know better than to surprise us that way." Natsume chided the russet haired teenager.

Misha unconsciously shrank shoulders at the tone in Natsume's voice but Leo merely huffed as he catch his breath. The urgent look in his eyes caught their attention.

"Another breach?"

Leo nodded. "Yeah, but that's not the problem."

Misha saw Leo glanced at him and glared at his senior officer. "You can talk in front of me. I won't blab."

Natsume made an impatient noise. "How far did they penetrate?"

"Not far. They stayed in the woods. But that's not the problem."

"You caught them?"

"No. They've escaped."

"How did that happen?" Misha shut his mouth when two steely glances skewered him in place.

"How many hostiles?"

Leo's green eyes flickered again to Misha. "We formed a search party at the southern forest, discreetly of course. With all the trouble you're in, you don't need to add up to it."

Misha could almost see the tension rising off of Natsume.

"Search party? For what?"

"A student was out walking." He stared meaningfully at Natsume, he seemed very unwilling to divulge the name of the student for some reason.

"Who?" The whispery tone in Natsume's voice sent shivers down Misha's spine.

"I thought they got it wrong so I checked in with her friends. She's not in her room."

"Who?"

Leo's handsome face twisted with nerves. "You know who."

Misha had never saw anyone moved that fast.

"Dammit." Leo cursed low in his throat, but snapped an order. "Get to headquarters, debrief. If you whisper anything about this to anyone..."

"I can help."

"I said.."

"I heard what you said and I can keep a secret. You need help."

Leo squinted in the dark to find Natsume's silhouette but found another. "Fine. Stay close."

Misha flashed a grin. "Sweet."

Leo rolled his eyes and grumbled under his breath. When they've finally reached their destination, Natsume was crouching low over the wet earth, mud clinging to his trousers and shoes." Her tracks changed here. " He paused and touched his fingers to the imprint of Mikan's shoes, struggling to not panic, struggling to believe that she was okay. "This is where she ran."

Nobara entered from the tree lines at his left, her pretty face anxious. "I found tracks on the trees behind us."

"I found signs of occupation three trees down." Leo took a deep breath, the ticking seconds only made him even more tense. He didn't like that the hostiles got so close to the dorms, he also didn't like the million questions that fought in his mind. "There were at least four of them."

"That coincides with what Ima's team told us."

Natsume tilted his head towards Nobara and the others; there were three other dangerous abilities either than Misha, Nobara and Leo; Quin, Kai and Makoto. Natsume was surprised but not worried when he saw them here, he worked with the three boys often and knew that they were as discreet as they were good.

"Ima's team passed here on the way back from a mission, they noticed something was wrong and went to investigate.." Kai answered the question in Natsume's eyes; his back straight , his blue black eyes straight as if he was reporting to his superior, which of course, he was.

"How did they escape?"

Quin shuffled his feet but when Natsume's crimson eyes moved to him, he straightened. "Ima's was a team of three, Hyuuga. They fought them as well as they could, giving...Sakura Mikan a head start but they came back from a three day mission. They were wounded, tired..."

"Where are they now?"

Makoto combed his fingers trough his black hair, shivering in the cold. "Infirmary"

"She said anything else?"

"There were actually six intruders but only four were active. They were fast, coordinated, controlled." A shaft of moonlight fell upon Quin, his pale, pale skin was even more unnatural in the dark.

Leo rubbed his nose, Natsume was way too controlled, way to calm about all this. He didn't like it. "She helped, Hyuuga. She fought, she got her licks in."

Natsume traced a long gash on a tree beside him. "She would." He said under his breath. "Damn, baka."

Natsume led the way to their training grounds, following her tracks, imagining her movements.

"She shouldn't have been so obvious." Misha scrutinized the shafts of broken bushes to his right as he passed them. "A blind man can follow her."

Leo, slapped the side of the younger boy's head with the flat of his hand. "They were smart and strong enough to fight off Ima's team. Do you really think she had a chance of hiding from them, you idiot? Being subtle would've only slowed her down."

Misha shrugged, in truth, he was surprised that she went as far as this without being caught; she was fast, agile, strong.

His brown eyes watched as Natsume cleared over the bushes, they reached a clearing in the forest where the earth was distubred by several footprints.

Again, Natsume crouched low. "She was cornered here, fought to get away." Natsume pictured the fight in his mind, trying to separate himself from his heart. "She fell here, crawled away." He touched the spot where Mikan fell, his mind supplying him with the images of Mikan's anxious face as she fought the intruders away.

"She was scared, tired." Nobara stood beside Natsume. "But she kept fighting."

A clear imprint of a large shoe stood in front of Mikan's hand prints. "She was cut off here, pulled to her knees."

"That's probably when Ima's team caught up and fought them. They held the hostiles off, giving Sakura time to run." Leo spread his gaze around the rings of trees. "It was fifteen minutes into the fight that she ran."

"It was raining, she ran blind. The rain fell heavily by that time. She could be anywhere." Misha tossed in his two cents.

The tense silence was broken by Natsume. "No, she's still here."

"Natsume, we've searched everywhere." Leo winced when Nobara elbowed him but pressed on."Maybe we should wait for morning and ask for help-"

"No need."

"But-"

"I said no need."

Nobara bit her lip. "Natsume..."

"She's still here."

Quin was cold and hungry, stung by the careless way Natsume waved away their help without so much as a thank you. "How do you know?"

"Because that's what I told her to do."

Quin sneered and ignored the incessant dig of Makoto's elbow on his side. "And she always do what you tell her to do?"

Natsume stopped, a small smile on his lips. "Not really."

"So-"

Leo grasped Quin's collar and jerked him back. "Shut up and let the man work."

Natsume lifted an eyebrow towards the russet haired boy who shrugged. "You have a plan."

It wasn't a question.

Natsume flexed his shoulders and reached inside himself and not a second longer; fire danced and slicked the earth from where he stood. Dangerously beautiful, it covered the ground like a fiery carpet.

The dangerous abilities flinched when the fire flared closer but the fire didn't touch them, when Natsume moved, they followed him, confused by what he was doing, but then they saw it.

Here and there, his fire disappeared in empty spots that strangely looked like foot prints.

"She never could control her Alice that good." He mumbled.

Awed and curious, they followed Natsume fast progressed towards the forest, following the empty spots. He stopped in front of a short, fat dead tree that was tangled and smothered by vines. Misha thought that it looked extraordinarily like an angry dwarf.

When the fire covered the tree, it broke into tiny sparks that glowed in the dark like fiery stars.

"She can't possibly hide there, the tree is way too small-" Kai broke off when Natsume pulled off the vines so he could squeeze in the hollow trunk.

Natsume's breath hitched in his throat for there in the hollow trunk, in a hold dug in the ground was Mikan, curled into a ball, drench and dirty.

Natsume took a second to blink, just to make sure it was really her and not a figment of his imagination.

Nobara froze the hampering vine and then all of them broke them easily enough. "Mikan-chan." Nobara called out to her, but it was Natsume's warm hands that made her amber eyes opened into slits.

Something inside Natsume broke when a wide and sincere smile broke across her dirty and exhausted face. He reached his trembling hands and saw that hers were equally dirty; her palms were cut up, the nails broken and chipped, the skin on her arms, bloodied and torn.

He fought to breath when he saw the deep cut on her right shoulder, the strands of honey gilded hair cut haphazardly at their ends. It showed how close they got to her.

The need to hold her, feel her clawed up his throat so he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her out.

He held her longer than necessary but raised his head when she murmured something across the skin of his neck. "What?"

"You came." Her voice was raspy, harsh and so soft. "I waited and you came. Just like you said." She sighed softly and tucked her head at the crook of his shoulder.

Nobara let out a relieved breath. "She's unconscious, we should get her to the hospital."

"No."

"Natsume."

Leo's hand touched Nobara's shoulder, silencing her. "If we bring her to the hospital, All of our discretion will be useless."

Natsume hitched her up in his arms where she lied quietly, her face, calm and content. "I'll take her to our dorm. Everything we need is probably already prepared."

Kai wrinkled his brow. "How do you know?"

Natsume gathered her close against his chest, giving his warmth to her, he took a moment to feel her weight on his arms, feel the slide if her wet hair against his skin, her warm breath on his neck, for themoment he brushed away the questions and suspicions and concentrated on feeling her.

"The same way that I know that she was still here."

A wry smile was on Natsume's lips when a second before Nobara can, the door to his room opened and familiar faces filled the opening.

Hotaru jerked her head towards the bathroom. "Carry her to the bathroom. We have to warm her up."

The dangerous ability blinked as they watched Anna and Nonoko followed Hotaru's lead, bringing along a tray of hot tea and stacks of towels. Ruka was preparing the bed, while Yuu gathered up a huge first aid kit and put it on the table that Monchu moved closer to the bedside with sweep of his hand. Sumire was filling up heater bottles and thick blankets.

Leo blinked when a dirty rag appeared at his face and followed the hand that offered it. Kitsuneme blinked his slanted eyes. "You're wet."

The older boy glanced at the dirty and smelly rag, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "No, thanks."

Koko chuckled. "Not for you. The floor. You dripping on the floor."

Leo blinked, looked down and fought the urge to squirm, suddenly feeling out of place in the warm, friendly yet anxious atmosphere. He sent a sharp glance towards the four younger boys behind him when they snickered.

"Thanks." He took the dirty rag from Koko, and like the good leader that he was, delegated. "Here, Misha. Don't miss anything."

The smug smile on Misha's face disappeared as quickly as it appeared.


	17. Gravity of Love

EXODUS

**EXODUS**

**16****th**** Chapter: Gravity of Love**

Leo had a habit of watching, so he saw the paused in Natsume's steps, saw the disgruntled look that changed into grudging acceptance when he walked out of the bathroom and saw them seated at the kitchen table. His pale green interested eyes picked up on the way his friends turned towards him as soon as he got out of the bathroom, he saw their eyes settled on his face, gauged his mood and settled into what they were doing when whatever they saw on it calmed them.

They flitted around the room like busy bees.

He watched as Ruka Nogi handed him a towel and a clean T-shirt before going to the kitchen to talk to the girl with the pink hair, Anna—if he wasn't mistaken—then walked back to get the wet uniform Natsume left haphazardly on a sofa to playfully throw it to Monchu who waved it into the laundry basket near the bathroom door with a smug smile, resulting in a scuffle between the two boys that was broken off by the class president with a patient and calm look. The flying boy was pairing off with the mind reader in annoying the girl with the green hair, spraying her with warm water and was stopped by—of course—the class president.

Leo jumped when a familiar young droll voice piped up at his side. "What are you doing here?"

"Yoichi."

Without waiting for an answer or so much as a by your leave, the six year old loitered toward Natsume who stood in his library, no longer interested with the dangerous abilities that looked a bit lost in the big room. "Can't sleep. I want to see nee-chan."

"She's taking a bath."

Leo noticed the look Yoichi cast at them and the nod that Natsume gave back to the little boy. Together, they walked back towards the kitchen table and sat across from them with a similar blank but easy expression on their faces.

From the corner of his eyes, Leo watched Anna and Yuu carried a tray full off warm snacks and hot tea. He noted the way they served Natsume and Yoichi first, already knowing their preference.

"Do any of you prefer coffee?" Anna's voice was high and pleasant, soothing.

Both Makoto and Quin held up their hands as if they were in a classroom, surprising Leo. They were the rowdiest of the dangerous abilities, but here—in the comfort of Natsume's special class bedroom—they looked their age, especially with their faces half drenched and covered by their hair.

Anna shuffled around their table like a waitress, no—Leo realized with shock—like a _mother_. He watched Kai murmured a thank you—so unlike his brash and impatient self—when Yuu handed them towels.

He finally realized the significance of Natsume actions—in sitting with them, he gave the sign that it was safe, _they_ were safe.

No important words were exchanged, no orders were given, each knew their own duty, knew their own part in the grander scheme of things. Each knowing each others moods, their expressions, taking hints from Natsume as their center.

_Interesting_, Leo mused, _Very interesting_.

A snort made him broke his thoughts and he stared into the bland stare of Koko who stared at him with a focus that was as unnerving as it was creepy.

_Crap, forgot they have a mind reader._

The smile on Koko's smile widened and Leo hurried to clear his thoughts and think of harmless things.

He stifled a sigh when Koko finally took his attention somewhere else—the bathroom door—seconds before it opened.

Another girl with long black hair opened the door and motioned Natsume—unnecessary since Natsume was already on his feet and walking towards her, he weaved amongst the others who stopped whatever they were doing and faced the open door—waiting.

How could he explain the rush of feelings that seemed to throb inside the room; joy, relief, affection and most of all; love.

Love was almost a tangible thing inside the room as Sakura Mikan stepped out of the bathroom beside her best friend Imai Hotaru, wrapped in a knee-length voluminous white dress that left her shoulders bare and sleeveless, probably not to aggravate the wound there, already treated and bandaged. Her hair looked shorter and was in pigtails that draped pass her shoulders like thick honey blond ropes, almost to her waist.

When Natsume picked up Mikan in his arms, her cut and wounded hands circled his shoulders like it was as natural as breathing.

He heard them took a collective long breath as if they had been holding it and letting it out along with their nerves and anxiety that had been piling away, and Leo stared as one by one they approached the huge bed where Natsume sat her gently, taking his place behind her, propping her up as she leaned heavily against him.

He saw the way Natsume slid his hands down her arms in one lengthen sweep, saw the way she leaned her head back and smiled at him as if to answer a voiceless question.

Leo stared as Hotaru and Anna pulled the blanket over Mikan's legs then patted them in a comforting, reassuring manner. He watched little Yoichi crawled on the bed to sit beside her, a hand curled over the ruffled edges of her dress. Whether they sat at the edge of the bed, or stood beside it, their faces turned towards her as if she was an irresistible force that they can't live without.

Watching Natsume's hands as they restlessly moved over hers, it was obvious that Natsume was not as calm as he looked.

It was as if Natsume was a planet and she was his sun while the others were moons that gravitate around them both.

The emotions that surrounded them were thick and stifling but Leo could feel drawing him in and resisted against the pull He fought against it, for that kind of commitment, that kind of bond was something that he didn't trust.

He never wanted to be so dependant—especially to another human being—and was surprise that Natsume had allowed it.

But then again—he thought—as he watched Natsume and Mikan entered into a whispered conversation that curved Natsume's lips into a gentle smile, maybe, he didn't have any choice on the matter.

The green haired girl was mumbling all the while as she dressed Sakura Mikan's cuts and wounds, chastising her for her reckless behavior but her hands were soft and gentle even as her voice raised a notch when the mind reader bandaged Mikan's other hand that wasn't even close to her elevated standards.

Bandages and bottles flew and exchanged hands as they made quick work of treating her wounds.

It was easy to feel invisible, to feel that you don't belong.

Leo felt his and the others straightened their backs when Natsume whispered something and the others turned to look at them with subtle speculative eyes before turning toward Mikan who nodded in agreement to whatever Natsume had said..

He watched as they touched her bandaged hands, kissed her cheek and murmured words of comfort that were threaded with affection, traded looks and nods with Natsume before they left the room as a group, no—a family, he corrected himself.

Just as the door snick close, Natsume and Mikan both aimed their eyes towards them, the smile on Natsume's face faded into the face the dangerous abilities recognized. Sakura Mikan however kept the soft, comfortable smile on her sweet and now clean face.

Natsume's face, however, was hard and uncompromising.

"We need to talk."


End file.
